OWE     &     ROWE 

Consulting  Engineers 


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THE   AUTHOR. 


Hand  Book  of  Timber 
Preservation 


Souvenir  edition 

Revised 


By  Samuel  M.  Rowey  C.  E. 

M.  Am.  Soc.  C.  E.  and  M.  W.  S.  E. 
Mem.  A.  R.  E.  &  M.  of  W.  Assn. 


CHICAGO 

PETTIBONE,  SAWTELL  &  Co.,  PRINTERS 
1904 


OENEKA, 

f\]  c 


COPYRIGHT,   1904,  BY  SAMUEL  M.   BOWE. 


COPYRIGHT,  1908 
COPYRIGHT,  1909 

BY 
SAMUEL  M.  ROWE 


188390 


ROBERT  DELOS  ROWE   (Deceased). 
M.  AM.  Soc.  C.  E. 

To  whose  labors  and  intelligent  studies  and  investigations 

much  that  is  most  valuable  in  this  work  is  due, 

this  book  is  affectionately  dedicated. 


PREFACE. 


"Since  1885,  when  the  matter  was  first  taken  up 
under  the  tutelage  of  the  late  Joseph  P.  Card,  the 
author  has  labored  to  perfect  the  methods  and  appli- 
ances, studying  each  principle  and  all  questions  con- 
nected with  the  operation  of  timber  preserving  in  the 
direction  of  convenience,  economy  and  effectiveness. 
Most  of  the  matter  contained  is  original,  and  this  is 
the  first  attempt  made  to  furnish  a  complete  practical 
guide  for  the  operator,  containing  full  directions,  that 
has  been  made  in  this  country.  Those  so  far  operating 
works  of  this  kind  have  relied  upon  training  their 
own  operator  and  carefully  refraining  from  letting 
any  but  general  items  of  information  go  out. 

In  a  general  way,  the  book  is  an  epitome  of  the 
experience  and  observations  of  the  author,  assisted 
by  Robert  D.  Rowe,  recently  deceased,  giving  results 
of  much  lafc>or,  study  and  time. 

It  is  not  pretended  that  the  operator  can  take  the 
matter  up  from  the  book  and  proceed  at  once  to  run 
the  business,  as  there  is  too  much  that  calls  for  a 
trained  and  matured  judgment;  but  the  book  will  be 
of  much  service  as  a  handbook  and  guide  during  the 
operation  of  the  plant  as  well  as  to  hints  during  the 
construction. 

The  author  is  but  too  sensible  of  the  imperfect 
arrangement  of  the  work  and  that  much  is  yet  to  do 
to  make  it  complete,  but  trusts  to  be  able  to  offer  in 
the  near  future  an  edition  that  will  correct,  to  some 
extent,  the  imperfections  of  this." 


The  Souvenir  Edition  of  the  Handbook  on  Timber 
Preservation  issued  in  1900  is  now  exhausted,  and  to 
meet  the  ever  increasing  demand  for  information  on 
the  practical  side  of  this  subject  would  seem  to  jus- 
tify another  edition.  To  meet  this  demand,  the  sec- 
ond edition  is  published  after  being  revised  and 
extended  in  its  scope  somewhat. 

An  effort  is  made  to  bring  in  the  writing  of  other 
experienced  men,  as  well  as  to  add  many  items  of 
experience  and  results  of  experiments  that  will  aid 
the  student  and  operator  in  a  fuller  understanding  of 
the  principles  involved  in  the  operation,  the  nature 
of  the  chemicals  used,  and  the  character  of  the  woods 
treated. 

The  former  work  has  been  criticised,  some  of  the 
statements  declared  wrong  and  the  conclusions  erro- 
neous. That  there  were  mistakes  and  grounds  for 
criticism  is  not  denied,  and  where  they  have  been 
pointed  out  the  critic  has  the  thanks  of  the  author. 
The  author  does  not  claim  a  high  degree  of  erudi- 
tion, but  has  tried  to  give  the  facts  derived  from 
long  practical  experience  in  the  business,  in  a 
manner  to  be  understood  by  any  man  of  average 
intelligence. 

In  all  cases  care  has  been  taken  to  give  proper 
credit  where  matter  has  been  copied  from  other 
authors.  Some  of  the  other  processes  are  noticed  in 
a  brief  way,  giving  such  information  as  came  into 
reach  in  the  publications  of  the  promoters.  Octave 
Chanute,  C.  E.,  John  D.  Isaacs  of  the  Southern  Pacific 
Railway,  President  E.  P.  Ripley  and  General  Man- 
ager Mudge,  both  of  the  A.,  T.  &  S.  F.  Ry.,  deserve 
special  mention  as  furnishing  much  information  that 
has  aided  in  this  compilation. 


PRESERVATION  OF  TIMBER. 


INTRODUCTORY. 


Section  i.  The  primary  purpose  of  this  treatise  is 
to  furnish  and  collate  such  information  as  to  the 
practical  workings  as  shall  enable  the  operator  to 
fully  understand  the  philosophy  and  principles  in- 
volved, and  to  serve  as  a  hand  book  of  information, 
both  during  the  construction  of  the  works  and  dur- 
ing the  operation  of  the  same. 

In  the  preservation  of  timber,  the  machinery  to 
be  used,  as  well  as  the  movements  and  methods 
used  in  the  operation  of  the  process,  are  somewhat 
complex;  just  as  in  the  manufacture  of  steel,  in  the 
process  of  making  or  refining  sugar  or  of  almost 
anv  line  of  mechanical  business,  so  that  to  insure 
proper  results  the  operator  must  not  only  have  a 
thorough  knowledge  of  the  principles  involved,  but 
must  have  a  thorough  training  in  the  method  of 
handling  the  Dlant. 

In  the  first  pla^e,  the  works  are  expensive,  the 
amount  of  capital  involved  in  the  erection  and 
equipment  is  a  very  large  amount;  then  the  chemi- 
cals are  costly,  hence  any  mistake  in  handling  or 
failure  to  do  good  work  is  an  expensive  mistake,  in- 
deed. 

The  appliances  for  the  treatment  of  timber  have 
been  brought  to  such  a  degree  of  efficiency  that,  if 
properly  handled,  there  is  little  chance  of  failure  or 
disappointment  in  the  results. 

VARIOUS    PROCESSES    USED. 

Sec.  2.  While,  as  generally  conceded,  the  use  of 
dead  oil  product  of  coal  tar,  usually  called  creosote, 
has  shown  in  some  cases  high  results,  yet  for  sev- 


eral  reasons  reference  to  it  will  be  but  incidental, 
and  attention  will  be  given  almost  exclusively  to 
that  of  the  Burnett  and  to  the  Zinc-Tannin  or  Well- 
house  processes,  in  which  the  chloride  of  zinc  is 
the  preservative  agent.  There  are  two  reasons  whv 
the  creosote  process  will  be  largely  restricted  in  its 
use.  In  the  first  place,  the  process  is  very  expen- 
sive, the  oil  being  more  and  more  costly  from  year 
to  year,  and  in  the  second  place,  there  is  the  diffi- 
culty and  uncertainty  of  getting  a  suitable  article. 
Its  much  greater  cost  will  necessarily  restrict  its 
use  to  cases  where  the  amount  of  timber  is  small 
and  the  lasting  quality  of  the  timber  paramount. 

On  the  other  hand,  the  zinc-tannin  process,  cost- 
ing but  a  fraction  of  that  of  the  former,  has  been 
found  only  less  effective,  showing  an  economy  that 
is  very  marked,  especially  when  applied  to  the  treat- 
ment of  railroad  cross-ties  and  bridge  timber.  It  is 
therefore  the  purpose  to  treat  here  of  this  matter 
with  reference  to  this  line  of  work. 

As  the  Wellhouse  process  is  a  modification  of  the 
Burnett,  the  latter  will  be  noticed  only  incidentally, 
but  the  former,  being  the  more  complex,  will  be 
treated  of  at  length. 

ZINC-TANNIN   OR   WELLHOUSE   PROCESS. 
METHODS   AND    RULES. 

Sec.  3.  The  Zinc-Tannin  or  Wellhouse  process 
for  treating  and  preserving  railroad  cross-ties, 
bridge  or  other  timbers  against  early  decay,  consists 
in  first  subjecting  the  timber  to  the  action  of  steam 
in  an  air-tight,  sealed  retort  for  such  length  of  time 
as  is  found  necessary  to  open  the  pores  of  the  tim- 
ber and  loosen  and  expel  the  natural  saps.  This  is 
followed  by  a  vacuum  of  from  18  to  26  inches, 
thereby  withdrawing  all  the  vapors  and  freeing  the 
timber  from  condensations  of  steam  introduced  and 
of  the  volatilized  saps. 

Sec.  4.  This  is  followed  by  the  introduction  of 
zinc-chloride  in  solution  one  and  a  half  to  three  per 


I 


cent  strong,  as  the  character  of  the  timber  under 
treatment  shall  require,  the  solution  carrying  at 
the  same  time  one-half  of  one  per  cent  in  weight  of 
dissolved  glue. 

This  solution  is  held  under  pressure  of  100  pounds 
for  a  period  of  two  and  one-half  hours  to  six  hours, 
depending,  as  before,  on  the  character  and  condition 
of  the  timber  treated. 

Sec.  5.  The  retort  is  then  freed  by  forcing  the 
chloride  solution  back  into  its  receptacle  and  in- 
troducing a  one-half  of  one  per  cent  solution  of 
tannin  and  holding  it  under  pressure,  as  with  the 
zinc  and  glue,  for  two  hours  or  thereabout  and  then 
withdrawing  it,  completing  the  operation.  This 
process  is  sometimes  varied  by  introducing  the  glue 
in  a  separate  solution,  in  which  case  a  separate  tub 
will  be  necessary  for  the  glue  solution. 

Sec.  6.  This  process  under  consideration  differs 
from  the  Burnett  only  in  the  addition  of  the  glue 
followed  by  the  tannin,  the  glue  and  the  tannin  com- 
bining and  forming  a  leathery  and  insoluble  product 
which  helps  to  render  the  timber  impervious  to  the 
absorption  and  giving  off  of  water,  so  orotecting 
the  chloride,  which  is  supposed  to  be  easily  washed 
out  of  the  timber,  thus  losing  its  antiseptic  effect. 

Sec.  7.  The  wide  range  in  time  is  necessary  to 
meet  the  difference  in  the  character  and  condition  of 
the  timber,  and  the  proper  and  most  economical 
and  effective  practice  can  only  be  fixed  by  first 
determining  what  absorption  can  be  secured,  and 
thenceforward  conforming  to  this.  This  can  best 
be  done  by  varying  the  time  or  the  strength  of  the 
solution,  or  both. 

Sec.  8.  A  very  important  requirement  is  that  the 
timber  being  treated  shall  have  a  reasonable 
amount  of  seasoning,  say  sixty  to  ninety  days,  vary- 
ing in  length  of  time  as  climatic  conditions  shall 
vary. 

In  a  warm,  dry  climate,  sixty  days  may  be  ample, 
while  in  a  moist,  cold  climate  much  more  time  will 
be  necessary  to  fit  the  timber  for  good  results. 


Sec.  9.  That  a  sufficient  amount  of  antiseptic  be 
introduced,  and  its  thorough  dissemination  through 
the  piece,  is  the  essential  point  to  be  attained. 

It  is  only  by  careful  observation  and  study  by  an 
experienced  management  that  the  best  results  can 
be  secured. 

CAUTION. 

Sec.  10.  The  process  and  methods  here  outlined 
have  been  in  practice  many  years  with  results  that 
place  them  beyond  the  sphere  of  experiment,  hence 
any  departure  from  them  with  a  view  to  improve 
should  be  guarded  against  and  deprecated  by  the 
management.  Any  experiments  in  the  direction  of 
improvement  should  be  made  by  those  competent  to 
direct  and  situated  to  carry  out  a  long  series  of  ex- 
periments. Even  this  should  be  attempted  with 
caution  and  hesitation,  as  it  takes  long  to  get  definite 
results. 

APPLIANCES. 

Sec.  n.  The  appliances  used  are  much  the  same 
as  those  for  the  Burnett  or  creosote  processes,  the 
minor  appliances  for  preparing  the  chemicals  only 
differing.  In  each  and  all  the  steaming  is  identical, 
and  the  storing  tanks  and  piping  are  interchange- 
able from  one  process  to  the  other. 

First — The  steam  plant  for  furnishing  the  neces- 
sary steam  to  the  retort,  for^  driving  the  different 
pumps  and  machinery,  including  a  dynamo  to  fur- 
nish light,  and  to  steam  coils  for  heating  the 
works. 

The  electric  light  is  ouite  essential,  as  the  works 
should  run  night  and  day. 

Second — The  retort,  sometimes  called  the  cylin- 
der, made  of  steel  plate,  and  of  such  dimensions  as 
will  receive  the  charge  with  its  tram  cars  on  which 
the  timber  is  loaded  in  such  shape  as  to  fill  the  cylin- 
der as  nearly  as  possible.  The  retort  most  con- 
venient is  usually  about  106  feet  in  clear  length, 
capable  of  receiving  thirteen  tram  cars  with  their 


loads  of  eight-feet  ties,  and  of  such  diameter  as  is 
deemed  most  suitable  and  convenient,  generally 
about  six  feet.  It  contains  tracks  on  which  the 
tram  cars  run,  the  gauge  of  which  is  the  same  as 
that  of  the  tram-yard  tracks,  by  means  of  which 
the  charge  is  run  in  and  out. 

The  retort  is  provided  with  a  strong  door,  self- 
sealing,  or  may  be  hand-bolted  as  may  be  desired, 
fitting  tightly  to  resist  pressure  and  to  prevent  leak- 
age and  waste. 

THE  "SPIDER"  DOOR. 

The  retort  door,  as  shown  in  Fig.  4,  is  old  as  to  its 
general  form,  but  has  lately  been  improved  in  its 
details  so  that  it  proves  economical  even  at  an  in- 
creased cost.  The  door  with  its  hinge  arms  is 
cast  in  one  piece,  from  cast  steel  with  a  large  reduc- 
tion of  thickness  over  that  of  a  cast  iron  door.  It 
is  faced  in  the  lathe  and  fitted  with  stud  screw  4 
inches  in  diameter;  the  hub  is  fitted  with  a  bronze 
bushing  working  closely  on  the  buttressed  thread 
of  the  screw,  and  the  friction  plates,  made  of  the 
finest  tool  steel,  have  two  circles  of  steel  balls, 
which  almost  entirelv  eliminates  friction,  enabling  it 
to  close  quickly  and  with  the  least  amount  of  labor. 

Ordinarily  only  one  door  is  necessary,  aside  from 
avoiding  the  expense  of  a  second  door,  complications 
in  the  appliances  and  the  operation  of  charging  the 
retort,  no  special  advantage  is  derived  from  such 
an  arrangement,  as  the  confining  of  operation  to  the 
one  point  is  believed  to  be  the  most  economical. 

The  weight  of  the  cast  steel  spider  door  is  about 
6.500  Ibs. 

WEIGHT  OF  CASTING  FOR  CAST  STEEL 
DOOR,  FOR  RETORT. 

Dia.  ;8^"-2^"  thick.  ^  14,486  cu.  in. 
Extra  at  hub,  810  cu.  in. 

— 15,296  cu.  in. 

1,728" 


12 


equal  8.852  cu.  ft.  X  490  Ibs.  equal  4,337.5  Ibs.  cast 
steel — say  4,400  Ibs.  exclusive  of  hub  and  fixtures. — 
Hingearms  200 

4,600 

For  hub,  add  700  Ibs. 

Other  fittings,  500  Ibs.,  and  stud  screw,  750  Ibs., 
making  a  total  of  6,300  Ibs. — say,  6,500  Ibs. 

Third — The  vacuum  pump,  used  to  free  the  retort 
from  air  and  vapors  remaining  after  the  steam  has 
been  released  from  it,  to  encourage  the  outflow  of 
natural  saps  of  the  timber  and  to  prepare  it  for  the 
ready  absorption  of  the  solution  by  freeing  it  from 
hot  vapors  and  expanding  the  small  amount  of  va- 
pors remaining.  In  connection  with  the  vacuum 
pump,  and  a  very  important  adjunct,  is  the  surface 
condenser  and  the  hot-well,  by  which  the  vapors 
are  condensed  before  reaching  the  vacuum  pump, 
relieving  it  of  a  large  part  of  its  labors. 

Fourth — The  air  compressor,  by  which  the  solu- 
tion used  is  forced  back  into  its  receptacle  quickly, 
by  pumping  air  into  the  retort,  as  well  as  for  other 
purposes  where  compressed  air  is  desired. 

Fifth — The  force  pump,  by  which  pressure  is  pro- 
duced upon  the  charge  in  the  retort,  a  boiler-feed 
pump,  a  pump  for  handling  water  for  the  various 
purposes  about  the  plant  and  for  fire  security. 

Sixth — Large  tanks  or  receptacles  for  the  various 
solutions,  consisting  of  a  tank  for  the  prepared 
chloride  solution,  a  tank  for  the  tannin  solution  and 
a  tank  for  water  storage,  each  of  which  should  be  of 
such  dimensions  as  will  amply  meet  the  require- 
ments of  the  plant. 

Standard  railway  tanks  will  do  for  a  small  plant, 
say  for  two  retorts,  but  for  a  larger  plant  a  tank  30 
feet  in  diameter  and  20  feet  deep,  holding  some- 
thing like  100,000  gallons,  is  about  what  is  most 
suitable.  These  may  be  of  wood,  iron  bound  except 
for  creosote,  which  should  be  steel  throughout. 

Seventh — The  vats  for  the  preparation  of  the 
chloride  should  be  of  wood,  lead  lined,  the  one  for 

14 


0 

E 


dissolving  ten  feet  square  and  two  and  a  half  feei 
deep,  and  the  storage  vat  for  concentrated  solution, 
say  eight  by  twelve  feet  and  three  and  one-half  feet 
deep.  The  concentrated  chloride,  as  well  as  the 
acid  used  in  its  manufacture,  are  both  destructive 
to  iron  or  even  steel,  hence  a  lining  of  half-inch  lead 
is  interposed  on  which  the  acids  will  not  act,  %  hence 
will  last  for  years.  A  small  mixing  tub  for  dissolv- 
ing glue,  say  about  eight  feet  in  diameter  and  four 
feet  deep,  in  which  it  is  soaked  and  dissolved,  and 
to  some  extent  diluted  preparatory  to  mixing  with 
the  chloride  solution,  is  usually  used.  The  tannin 
requires  a  similar  tub,  in  which  four  or  five  barrels 
of  the  bark  extract  can  be  emptied,  diluted  and  used. 

To  each  of  these  mixing  vats  or  tubs  is  provided 
an  ejector,  by  means  of  which  the  contents  can  be 
forced  up  into  the  proper  receptacle  as  needed.  The 
pipes  and  valves,  through  which  the  concentrated 
solution  is  passed,  must  be  of  chemically  pure  lead, 
as  the  lining  is. 

Eighth — The  system  of  iron  piping  to  carry 
through  all  the  different  movements  is  too  exten- 
sive and  complicated  to  be  described,  except  in  a 
general  way,  as  almost  every  case  calls  for  some 
modification  on  account  of  special  conditions. 
They  can  be  divided  and  described  in  the  following 
order : 

(a)  The    solution  pipes  consist  of  a   system  of 
large  iron  pipes   connecting  the  solution  tubs  with 
the  retort  by  which  the  movement  is  quickly  made, 
the   full  control  of  which  is   in  the  hands  of  the 
operator  by  means  of  a  system  of  valves. 

(b)  The  air  and  vacuum  pipes  are  a  system  of 
piping  through  which  connection  between  the  retort 
and  the   vacuum   pump  and   the  air  compressor  is 
made,   by   which   vacuum   is   drawn   and  by  which 
air  is  forced  into  the  retort  in  forcing  back  the  solu- 
tion to  its  receptacle,  and  also  by  which  the  steam  or 
the  air  is  released  from  the  retort. 

(c)  The  circulating  system  is  a  system  of  minor 
pipes,  including  a  force  pump  by  which  a  plentiful 


•".-DCMTV 


18 


• 

-i       -1  1  u  ' 

_ \  4— P-  I 


20 


stream  of  cold  water  is  forced  through  the  surface 
condenser  during  production  of  vacuum,  by  means 
of  which  the  steam  and  vapors  from  the  retort  are 
condensed  and  cooled  before  reaching  the  vacuum 
pump. 

(d)  The  blow-back  system  is  a  set  of  pipes  of 
minor  size  by  which  the  last  remnant  of  solution  is 
forced  back  into  its  proper  receptacle  by  means  of 
the  air  compressor  continuing  its  service  after  the 
solution  valves  are  closed. 

(e)  The  puddler  consists  of  a  system  of  small 
pipes    connecting  between   the  compressor  and   the 
solution  tubs,  the  chloride  dissolving  vat,  the  chlo- 
ride  storage  vat  and  the  glue   and  tannin  mixing 
tubs,  by  which  they  may  be  agitated  by  a  stream  of 
air  from  the  compressor. 

This  is  quite  important,  as  it  keeps  the  ^ chemicals 
in  the  solution  in  suspension  and  aids  in  rapidly 
dissolving  those  in  the  mixing  or  dissolving  vats. 

(f)  Steam  coils  and  heating  pipes.     These  con- 
sist of  steam  coils  in  each  of  the  solution  tubs  by 
which  the  desired  temperature   is  secured  to   each 
solution;  also  such  radiators  as  may  be  necessary  to 
heat  the  building,  all  having  steam  direct  from  the 
steam  boilers  and  discharging  all  condensations  by 
means  of  a  steam  trap  to  the  boiler-feed  tank  or  to 
any  desired  hot- water  reservoir. 

(g)  Steam   pipes.     The   steam   pipes   from    the 
boilers  by  which  steam  is  furnished  to  each  of  the 
pumps,   engines,   etc.,  need  not  be  further  noticed 
here  except  to  say  that  they  should  be  of  ample  size 
and  should  lead  as  direct  as  possible  to  each  ma- 
chine, and  should  be  well  protected  against  radia- 
tion.   This  should  be  especially  and  effectually  done 
with    the    line   conveying    steam    to    the    stationary 
power  by  which  charges  are  handled,  which  are  lo- 
cated at  considerable  distance  from  the  boilers. 

(h)     Suction  and  discharge  pipes  of  the  various 
pumps  need  here  only  be  mentioned, 
(i)     Service  and  security  against  fire. 
In   large  plants,   a   large   force  pump   connecting 

21 


FIG. 


In  a  case  where  water  is  scarce  and  expensive  a  cooling 
tower  is  used  (Fig.  9J4)  in  connection  with  the  circulating 
system  by  which  the  cooling  water  after  passing  through  the 
condenser  is  forced  to  the  top  of  the  tower  and  then  released 
and  allowed  to  drip  back  into  the  tank  from  which  it  is 
drawn.  Thus  it  can  be  used  over  and  over,  little  being  lost. 

22 


with  an  ample  supply  of  water  in  case  of  fire,  break- 
ing out,  the  discharge  of  which,  with  its  pipes,  to 
the  various  parts  of  the  works,  and  sufficient  number 
of  hydrants  and  ample  supply  of  hose,  is  a  very  im- 
portant adjunct.  It  may  be  made  to  do  general 
pumping  service,  at  the  same  time  being  always 
ready  for  a  fire. 

(j)  Automatic  drain  from  the  retort.  This  is 
an  arrangement  of  pipes  connecting  the  drain  well 
of  the  retort  to  the  sewer  by  which  all  condensa- 
tions during  the  operation  of  steaming  shall  be  car- 
ried to  the  sewer,  thereby  keeping  the  retort  as  free 
as  possible  from  water. 

It  may  be  arranged  to  operate  automatically  by 
means  of  a  steam  trap,  or  it  may  be  operated  by  the 
operator  by  means  of  a  valve  in  case  the  steam  trap 
fails  to  operate. 

All  of  these  systems  must  be  planned  and  plainly 
delineated  to  work  together  harmoniously,  nowhere 
interfering  with  each  other,  and  each  constructed 
so  as  to  do  its  work  properly,  and  the  outlines  and 
dimensions  put  on  paper  so  that  the  shop  men  can 
make  every  piece  and  put  it  in  its  place. 

Ninth — The  power  required  for  charging  and  dis- 
charging the  retort,  and  for  moving  the  tram  cars 
in  the  yard  is  furnished  by  a  stationary  engine. 
By  means  of  a  drum  and  cables  supplemented  by 
fixed  snatch  pulleys  in  different  positions,  the  op- 
eration can  be  carried  several  hundred  feet  each 
way.  Two  and  sometimes  more  of  these  shifting 
engines  are  required  in  a  large  plant. 

Tenth — Tram-yard  tracks.  This  consists  of  a  sys- 
tem of  tram  tracks  conforming  in  gauge  to  the 
tracks  in  the  retort  and  extending  with  switches, 
cross-overs,  etc.,  such  as  the  dimensions  of  the  works 
shall  require,  by  which  timber  is  brought  from  a 
standard  railroad  yard  or  from  storage  piles  and 
conveyed  to  and  from  the  retort,  and  again  dis- 
charged into  piles  or  loaded  on  cars  for  reshipment. 
While  the  gauge  of  these  tracks  must  be  the  same 
as  that  in  the  retort,  yet  heavier  rails  may  be  used, 
and  48  to  56  old  rails  can  be  utilized. 

23 


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FlG.  11—  HEATING  COILS  FOB  CREOSOTE,  CHLORIDE  AND  TANNIN  TAN] 

25 


Eleventh — Loading  and  unloading  platform. 

As  the  amount  of  material  to  be  handled  is  great, 
and  the  timber  is  very  heavy  and  unwieldy,  every 
care  must  be  taken  to  reduce  this  labor  to  a  mini- 
mum. The  elevated  platform,  conforming  to  the 
height  of  the  floor  of  a  car,  has  been  found  a  very 
great  help,  the  charge  from  the  retort  being  run 
up  an  incline  on  to  it  and  there  unloaded  into  cars 
for  outshipment. 

Twelfth — Steam  derrick.  Where  timber  and  pil- 
ing are  treated  in  connection  with  cross-ties,  and 
the  quantity  justifies,  a  traveling  steam  derrick  is 
very  useful,  especially  with  long  piles  and  timber. 

Where  gondola  cars  are  to  be  had  for  outgoing 
ties,  the  tram  loads  can  be  placed  in  them  bodily. 

Thirteenth — Tram  cars  or  buggies,  on  which  the 
timber  is  designed  to  be  treated,  or  loaded,  are  com- 
pactly and  strongly  built,  weight  from  800  to  1,000 
pounds  each,  and  are  provided  with  two  curved 
arms  on  each  side,  conforming  to  section  of  the  re- 
tort, and  have  a  capacity  of  from  30  to  45  standard 
cross-ties,  as  they  may  be  hewn  or  sawed.  With 
length  of  tie  eight  feet,  12  to  14  cars  make  a  charge, 
depending  on  length  of  the  retort. 

For  long  timber  and  piling  a  car  of  much  the 
same  dimensions,  but  provided  with  a  strong  bolster 
turning  freely  on  the  center  of  the  tram,  instead  of 
the  two  pairs  of  arms,  is  used.  The  timber  or  pile 
is  loaded  on  two  cars  and,  by  means  of  the  bolster, 
the  car  can  turn  curves  freely  in  the  yard  where 
curves  are  unavoidable  in  works  of  any  extern 

Fourteenth — Scales  for  weighing  timber. 

As  the  amount  of  absorption  of  the  chemicals  m 
solution  by  the  timber  is  of  the  first  importance,  any 
means  necessary  to  determine  this  accurately  should 
be  emnloyed.  The  indicator  measurements  is  the 
one  of  main  reliance  in  determining  this,  and  to 
check  this  a  four-ton  platform  scale,  set  in  the  tram 
track  at  a  convenient  point  for  weighing,  is  perhaps 
the  best  means  to  be  devised.  On  this  a  tram  load 
or  a  single  piece  can  be  weighed,  first  before  treat- 

26 


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5    «. 
5    « 


is  \ 


A 


ing  and  ai?ain  after,  whereby  knowing  the  weight 
and  strength  of  the  solution,  the  amount  of  the 
chemical  absorbed,  can  be  determined  accurately. 

Fifteenth — Buildings. 

Where  a  plant  is  to  be  operated  continuously  day 
and  night,  and  in  all  climates  and  kinds  of  weather, 
the  buildings  must  necessarily  cover  and  protect  the 
machinery  and  appliances  effectually.  Ordinarily, 
wooden  buildings  or  wood  covered  with  corrugated 
iron  on  sides  and  tar  paper,  tar  and  gravel  for  roof, 
are  found  best  adapted  to  the  purpose.  These  can 
be  made  to  effectually  shelter  the  works,  are  cheap, 
and  as  the  plant  and  its  operation  are  not  always 
permanent,  this  form  of  building  is  best  adapted  to 
easy  removal,  with  little  loss,  if  the  necessity  comes. 
The  buildings  particularly  required  are: 

(a)  The  building  covering  the  retorts. 

(b)  The  machinery  room,  containing  all  pumps, 
valves   and   machinery,    with   the    exception   of   the 
shifting  engines  in  the  yard.     The  machinery  must 
be  compactly  arranged  so  as  to  be  under  the  eye 
and  hand  of  the  operator. 

(c)  The  boiler  room  containing  the  boilers,  feed 
pumps,  etc. 

(d)  The  chloride  vat  room. 

(e)  The  storerooms  for  storage  of  chemicals. 

(f)  Blacksmith  shop  and  repairing  room. 

(g)  Office. 

(h)     Housing  for  shifting  engines. 

Sixteenth — Lighting. 

A  small  electric  plant  is  almost  indispensable.  It 
may  consist  of  a  small  steam  engine  operated  by 
steam  from  the  boilers  and  a  dynamo  good  for  ten 
arc  lights  of  1600  c.  p.  or  its  equivalent,  furnishing 
four  or  five  lights  outside  and  any  desired  number 
of  incandescent  lights  inside. 

A  PORTABLE  PLANT. 

A  portable  plant  for  timber  treating  in  some  cases 
will  be  found  both  convenient  and  economical. 
The  retort  is  one  of  a  pair  built  for  the  Union 

30 


I-  ^^^4 


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M 

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81 


=5T+- 


Pacific  Railway  under  a  patent  taken  out  by  W. 
G.  Curtis  and  John  D.  Isaacs  of  the  Southern 
Pacific  Railway  Co.  The  case  it  is  intended  to  meet 
is  where  the  timber  supply  is  widely  dispersed  and 
no  considerable  supply  convenient  to  any  one  point 
on  the  line.  The  cost  of  treating  is  no  greater  than 
at  a  stationary  plant  of  the  same  size  and  the  cost 
of  removing  from  one  place  to  another  is  estimated 
at  not  over  one-third  of  that  of  the  removing  of  a 
stationary  plant  of  like  dimensions.  This  is  found 
to  be  about  one-fourth  to  one-third  cent  per  tie, 
exclusive  of  the  removal  of  the  platforms,  which  are 
left  in  place  to  be  again  used  at  some  future  time. 
The  retorts  are  mounted  on  trucks  similar  to  those 
of  a  strong  freight  car  and  the  tanks  for  the  oil 
or  solution,  the  necessary  pumps,  and  the  steam 
boilers  are  all  mounted  on  standard  freight  flat  cars, 
and  all  is  shifted  by  the  disconnection  of  a  few 
connecting  pipes.  When  it  is  desired  to  creosote, 
the  retorts  are  supplied  with  the  necessary  heating 
coils. 

Three  portable  plants  are  now  in  use  on  the  South- 
ern Pacific  Railway,  the  Union  Pacific,  the  O.  R. 
&  N.  and  on  the  Chicago  &  Eastern  Illinois  Railway. 

RULES  OF  OPERATION. 

GENERAL. 
THE  STAMPING  HAMMER. 

Sec.  12.  To  enable  the  track  department  to  keep 
any  record  of  time  treated  ties  are  laid  and  of  their 
removal.  The  hammer  here  shown  is  about  the  di- 
mension of  a  small  spiking  hammer  and  has  a  figure 
cut  in  relief  on  one  face.  A  smart  blow  on  the  end 
of  each  tie  impresses  a  figure  deep  enough  to  re- 
main indelibly  as  long  as  the  end  of  the  tie  remains. 
The  cost  of  the  hammer  is  trifling,  as  the  stamping 
can  be  done  in  connection  with  the  counting.  It  is 
best  done  as  soon  as  the  tram  car  is  loaded  prepara- 
tory to  putting  in  the  charge. 

34 


THE  DATING  NAIL. 

The  Dating  nails  here  shown,  suggested  by  Oc- 
tave Chanute,  C.  E.,  are  intended  to  be  driven  into 
the  tie  after  it  has  been  placed  in  the  track.  The 
best  place  seems  to  be  on  the  line  side  of  the  track, 
say  12  inches  from  the  line  of  the  rail.  The  cost  of 
the  nail  is  approximately  2-10  cent  each. 

The  main  purpose  of  the  nail  does  not  preclude  the 
use  of  the  stamping  hammer  before  introducing  for 
treatment,  which  is  considered  as  well  worth  doing 
even  if  dating  nails  are  to  be  used. 

In  operations  where  the  plant  consists  of  one,  two 
or  three  retorts,  it  is  usual  to  start  the  charges  about 
an  hour  apart,  so  that  the  use  of  compressor  and 
vacuum  pump  will  not  interfere  and  can  be  applied 
to  each  retort  in  turn;  thus  all  three  retorts  can 
be  operated  by  the  one  machine.  If  the  nlant  has 
more  than  three  retorts,  say  four  or  six,  then  a 
second  compressor  and  vacuum  pump  will  be  re- 
quired, and  the  retorts  can  and  should  be  run  in 
pairs. 

Each  retort  requires  its  own  force  or  oressure 
pump  and  its  separate  system  of  piping  for  solution, 
steam  and  air,  so  arranged  as  to  serve  each  retort  in 
its  turn. 

The  details  of  operation,  more  specifically  given, 
are  divided  about  as  follows: 

(a)  Preparing  the  charge  and  manner  of  loading 
the  timber. 

As  it  is  essential  that  the  steam  and  the  solution, 
each  in  its  turn,  shall  have  free  access  to  all  sides 
of  the  timber  (each  piece),  a  space  must  be  left  or 
reserved  for  this,  especially  for  sawed  stuff,  other- 
wise the  operation  will  be  greatly  impeded  or  en- 
tirely defeated. 

A  compactly  loaded  mass  of  timber  will  act  much 
as  if  it  were  still  unsawed.  This  has  been  exempli- 
fied in  the  nine-foot  retort,  where,  even  with  quarter- 
inch  iron  strips  between,  the  steaming  requires  from 
three  to  four  times  as  long  a  time  as  that  required 
where  the  pieces  are  properly  separated,  and  the 


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same  is  true  as  to  pressure  on  solution.  A  one-inch 
strip,  or  an  ordinary  barrel  stave,  will  do  with 
sawed  ties.  Hewn  ties  do  not  need  this. 

In  loading,  the  ties  should  be  arranged  to  con- 
form  to  the  loading  gauge,  so  that  there  will  be  no 
interference  in  charging,  and  there  firmly  chained, 
care  being  taken  to  have  the  load  even  at  the  ends 
so  as  to  allow  the  inspector  easy  access  for  counting 
and  stamping. 

The  stamping  die  should  be  a  hammer  about  the 
weight  of  a  small  railroad  spike  maul,  weighing 
three  and  a  half  to  four  pounds,  with  handle  similar 
and  with  the  die  full  faced  and  deeply  cut  (three- 
eighth  inch),  vertical  and  not  tapering,  securing  an 
impression  deep  enough  to  last  as  long  as  the  timber 
itself. 

The  loaded  cars  are  then  assembled  to  make  the 
proper  charge,  and  are  then,  by  means  of  the  shift- 
ing engine,  cables  and  pulleys,  drawn  into  the  re- 
tort, the  doors  closed  and  sealed,  when  all  is  ready 
for: 

(b)     Steaming. 

The  steam  is  introduced  into  the  retort,  preferably 
at  each  end  and  nearly  at  the  bottom.  Meanwhile 
the  blow-off  at  the  top  of  the  retort  is  kept  open  to 
allow  the  air  to  escape  until  the  retort  is  full  of 
steam.  When  the  retort  is  entirely  filled,  the  blow- 
off  is  closed  and  the  steam  is  accumulated  until  it 
has  reached  a  pressure  of  twenty  pounds  per  square 
inch  and  there  held  throughout  the  entire  remaining 
time  required — four  to  six  hours.  This  pressure  is 
fixed  as  the  maximum,  as  the  temperature  of  the 
steam  is  then  at  near  250  degrees  Fah.,  about  all 
that  the  timber  will  bear  without  scorching  and  in- 
jury to  its  fiber.  Frequently  during  the  steaming, 
the  condensations  should  be  drawn  off  from  the 
retort,  by  means  of  the  automatic  blow-off,  to  the 
sewer,  accelerating  the  dryness  of  the  steam  and 
reducing  condensation,  and  securing  greater  dryness 
in  the  timber  after  the  vacuum  is  drawn.  The  steam 
is  then  blown  off,  being  discharged  into  the  air. 


SUPERHEATED     STEAM     IN    CONNECTION 
WITH  TIMBER  TREATMENT. 

There  can  be  no  doubt  as  to  the  utility  and  econ- 
omy in  the  use  of  superheated  steam  for  heating 
the  solution  or  oils  used  where  the  steam  is  used 
in  coils,  as  it  expedites  the  process  and  saves  in  fuel. 
It  is,  however,  very  questionable  whether  super- 
heated steam  can  safely  be  used  where  it  comes  in 
direct  contact  with  the  timber,  as  during  the  period 
of  steaming,  as,*  the  temperature  is  more  difficult 
to  control,  endangering  the  timber  fibre  as  is  not 
possible  with  saturated  steam  at  the  prescribed  pres- 
sure of  twenty  pounds.  It  has  been  observed,  where 
it  is  so  used,  that  the  timber  is  often  burned. 

TEMPERATURE    IN    THE   VARIOUS    SOLU- 
TIONS. 

(Thermometers.) 

It  is  generally  conceded  that  the  temperature  at 
which  the  various  solutions  are  applied  is  important 
in  that  a  quite  high  temperature  conduces  to  more 
prompt  chemical  action  and  perfect  combination.  To 
more  perfectly  control  this,  the  Fahrenheit  thermom- 
eter is  applied  both  to  the  retorts  and  to  the  solu- 
tion reservoirs  or  tanks. 

The  drawing  herewith  shows  the  usual  method  of 
attaching  the  thermometer  to  the  retorts.  There  is 
no  way  by  which  more  perfect  connection  can  be 
made  with  the  contents  of  the  retort  and  the  indi- 
cated temperature  will  be  somewhat  below  the  actual 
mean  of  the  reservoirs  until  after  long  exposure. 
The  most  important  function  is  to  measure  the  tem- 
perature of  solution  or  oils  as  with  the  steam  pres- 
sure gauge  will  give  the  heat  of  the  steam  suffi- 
ciently close.  A  few  observations  will  give  the  cor- 
rection to  be  added,  approximately  at  least.  In  any 
case  the  approximate  will  be  a  fair  guide  in  ab- 
sence of  any  means  of  obtaining  exact  readings. 

(c)     The  vacuum. 

When    the    steam    is    fully    blown    off   the    retort 

42 


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should  be  allowed  to  cool  for  a  little  time,  the  cir- 
culating water  should  be  started  through  the  surface 
condenser  and  allowed  to  flow,  insuring  the  greatest 
degree  of  cold  surface  to  the  hot  vapors  from  the 
retort  before  the  vacuum  pump  is  started,  thus  pre- 
venting these  hot  vapors  from  injuring  the  valves  of 
the  pump. 

In  a  one  or  two  retort  plant,  one  of  the  force 
pumps  can  be  utilized  for  pumping  the  circulating 
water;  but  in  a  large  plant,  either  the  service  and 
fire  pump  will  answer,  or  a  special  pump  will  be 
necessary. 

Thus  having  cooled  the  condenser,  the  vacuum  is; 
drawn,  raising  it  as  fast  as  is  practicable  to  20  at: 
26  inches,  and  there  holding  it  for  half  an  hour  01* 
more,  if  desired.  If  the  hot- well  catching  the  con- 
densation fills  so  that  the  contents  are  thrown  off 
through  the  vacuum  pump,  and  it  is  desired  to 
measure  it,  resort  must  be  had  to  an  auxiliary  res- 
ervoir, so  arranged  as  to  receive  the  surplus  when 
necessary.  The  practicability  of  measuring  these 
condensations  with  a  view  to  determine  the  amount 
of  sap  extracted  from  the  timber,  is  a  matter  of 
doubt,  and  will  be  noticed  further  on. 

A  marked  advantage  has  been  secured  in  treating 
obdurate  timber  (dense,  wet  or  green),  by  interpos- 
ing a  vacuum  at  an  intermediate  time  during  the 
steaming,  blowing  off  the  latter,  drawing  a  vacuum 
and  again  introducing  the  steam  while  the  vacuum 
is  still  held.  This  idea  is  worth  investigating  when 
opportunity  offers. 

(d)     Introducing  the  chloride  solution. 

The  vacuum  having  been  on  for  sufficient  time,  it 
is  still  held,  and  the  valve  in  the  solution  pipe  is 
opened  and  the  solution  allowed  to  flow  in,  which 
it  does  very  rapidly  by  the  help  of  the  vacuum,  until 
the  retort  is  entirely  filled,  the  air  pipe  being  opened 
to  allow  the  escape  of  the  remaining  air  in  the  re- 
tort and  then  closed. 

The  solution  should  be  heated  from  80  to  100  de- 
grees Fah.  before  introduced,  as  it  is  found  that  the 

44 


45 


chloride  is  held  best  in  suspension  at  about  that 
temperature. 

When  the  retort  is  filled  and  the  air  pipe  closed, 
the  force  or  pressure  pump  is  at  once  started  and  the 
pressure  raised  to  100  pounds  per  square  inch,  which 
should  be  done  in  a  very  short  time,  and  there  held 
for  such  time  as  shall  be  judged  best  to  meet  the 
nature  of  the  timber. 

A  measuring  vat,  in  which  the  estimated  quantity 
of  solution  that  the  charge  should  receive  is  held, 
is  recommended  by  some  as  a  good  thing,  as,  by 
attaching  the  suction  of  the  pressure  pump  to  the 
vat  and  running  it  until  the  vat  is  exhausted,  the 
timber  will  have  absorbed  the  proper  amount  of  the 
solution. 

Careful  reading  of  the  indicator  about  the  time 
the  pressure  from  the  pump  begins,  and  then  again 
at  times  during  which  pressure  remains,  will  give  a 
very  close  measurement  of  the  amount  absorbed 
during  that  time,  but  of  course  there  is  no  means 
of  determining  how  much  was  absorbed  before 
pressure  was  secured.  The  indicator  reading  before 
introducing  and  again  after  forcing  back,  gives  the 
most  accurate  measurement  possible,  except,  per- 
haps, the  weighing  before  and  after. 

(e)  Returning   the   chloride   solution   to   its   re- 
ceptacle is  the  next  move,  and  is  accomplished  by 
means  of  the  air  compressor  by  which  air  is  forced 
into  the  retort.     When  it  is  auite  cleared  the  valve 
in  the  main  solution  pipe  is  closed,  and  the  blow- 
back  is  used  to  clear  the  retort  of  the  last  remnant 
of  solution,  which  is  carried  to  its  proper  tub  by  an 
overhead  pipe. 

(f)  Introduction  of  the  tannin  solution. 

As  soon  as  the  chloride  solution  has  been  cleared 
from  the  retort,  the  tannin  solution  is  introduced, 
put  under  pressure  and  so  held  for  the  desired  pe- 
riod, and  forced  back  to  its  receptacle  in  every  re- 
spect as  with  the  chloride,  except  that  the  time  held 
under  the  pressure  of  100  pounds  need  not  be  so 
long,  as  the  action  of  the  tannin  is  quite  superficial. 

47 


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48 


This  completes  the  operation.  The  doors  being 
opened,  the  charge  is  removed  from  the  retort. 
The  next  charge  being  prepared  is  run  in,  th^  doors 
are  closed,  and  the  whole  program  is  repeated.  A 
charge  takes  from  10  to  12  hours. 

RULES  FOR  MIXING  CHEMICALS. 
ZINC-TANNIN    OR    WELLHOUSE    PROCESS. 

CHEMICALS  USED. 
Chloride  of  Zinc.     (Zncl2.) 

Sec.  13.  The  principal  antiseptic  agent  used  in 
this  process  is  the  chloride  of  zinc.  The  chloride 
can  be  made  on  the  ground  by  the  combination  of 
hydrochloric  acid  (muriatic)  with  common  metallic 
zinc,  or  the  commercial  product  in  the  form  of  a 
salt  furnished  in  large  drums  or  rolls  protected  by 
a  covering  of  thin  sheet  iron.  There  is  but  little 
difference  in  the  cost,  the  difference  being  in  favor 
of  the  commercial  article. 

Empirically,  the  hydrochloric  acid  (Hcl2)  and 
the  zinc  spelter  (Zn)  combines  about  as  follows : 
350  Ibs.,  18  per  cent  acid  to  100  Ibs.  of  the  spelter 
will  produce  409  Ibs.  of  45  per  cent  Zncla,  equal  to 
about  185  Ibs.  pure  chloride  of  zinc. 

With  acid  at  i1/?  cents  and  zinc  at  56-10  cents 
would  be  5  87-100  cents  per  ib.  pure  chloride  of  zinc. 
The  fused  chloride,  98  per  cent  pure,  is  now  sold  for 
four  cents,  so  that  at  the  above  price  for  the  acid 
and  the  spelter  it  is  better  to  use  the  fused  chloride, 
at  considerable  saving  in  freight  as  well  as  in  the 
convenience  in  its  use. 

(c)  The  commercial  chloride  being  most  readily 
obtained  and  more  convenient  to  use,  is  being  gen- 
erally used,  hence,  in  the  rules  here  given,  the  com- 
mercial chloride  will  be  understood. 

(d)  The  impurities  in  the  salt  should  not  exceed 
three  per  cent  in  weight,  and  are,  with  one  excep- 
tion,  quite   harmless,   except   as   an   impurity.     The 
presence   of  a  small   amount  of  iron,  however,  say 
one-half  of  one  per  cent,  should  condemn  it,  as  the 


iron  neutralizes  the  chloride  and  at  the  same  time 
is  said  to  injure  the  wood  fiber. 

(e)  The  commercial  salt  will  often  have  a  small 
amount    of    free,    uncombined    acid,    which    is    de- 
structive   to    wood    fiber    if   present    in    any    great 
amount,  hence  the  dissolving  as  well  as  the  storage 
vat  should  contain  a  liberal  allowance  of  the  zinc 
blocks  to  take  it  up,  and  the  time  allowed  for  its 
action  should  be  as  extended  as  possible. 

(f)  A  graphic  table  of  weight  and  specific  grav- 
ity of  chloride  of  zinc  is  here  given,  which  gives 
the  data  on  which  the  table  for  quantities,  in  Table 
"B,"  is  computed.     While  it  is  not  claimed  to  be 
exact,  yet  it  gives  a  sufficiently  close  approximation 
and  serves  the  purpose.     It  is  the  summing  up  of 
numerous  trials. 

PREPARATION   OF   CHEMICALS   FOR  USE. 

Sec.  14.    The  chloride  of  zinc. 

(a)  Dissolving:     The  fused  chloride    (commer- 
cial) should  be  dissolved  into  stock  solution,  a  con- 
centrated  solution  from  35  to  50  per  cent  strong, 
some  little  time  before  used,  say  24  hours  if  prac- 
ticable, so  that  it  shall  be  thoroughly  dissolved,  and 
that  any  free  acid  it  may  contain  will  have  time  to 
be  taken  up  by  the  spelter   (zinc)  kept  in  the  dis- 
solving vat  for  that  purpose. 

The  drums  or  rolls  of  fused  chloride  should  then 
be  divested  of  the  iron  covering,  weighed,  and  if 
the  works  are  provided  with  a  trolley  carrier,  be 
placed  bodily  in  the  dissolving  vat,  or  in  absence 
of  the  trolley,  they  should  be  broken  into  smaller 
fragments  and  dropped  from  planks  placed  over 
the  vat,  which  should  have  been  previously  partially 
filled  with  water.  In  placing  the  pieces  in  the  vat, 
care  must  be  taken  that  the  lead  lining  of  the  vat 
be  not  injured. 

(b)  The  following  will  guide  as  to  the  amount 
of  the  salt  to  be  weighed  in,  and  as  to  the  amount 
of  water   for   dissolving.     First  fill   vat  about   half 


52 


full,  and  then  add  the  chloride  and  fill  with  water 
to  the  height  indicated : 

For  35  per  cent  stock  solution — 

6,296  pounds  salt,  and  fill  to  2.2  vertical  feet. 
For  40  per  cent — 

7,865  pounds  salt,  and  fill  to  2.3  vertical  feet. 
For  45  per  cent — 

9,285  pounds  salt,  and  fill  to  2.3  vertical  feet. 
For  50  per  cent — 

10,860  pounds  salt,  and  fill  to  2.3  vertical  feet. 

(c)  This   comoutation   is   based   upon   a   mixing 
vat  ten  feet  square  and  two  and  one-half  feet  deep, 
and,  being  lead  lined  with  half-inch  sheet  lead,  has 
approximately  an  area  of  99.4  square  feet. 

The  above  is  a  fair  guide,  remembering  that  the 
exact  amount  of  the  salt  or  the  resulting  strength 
of  solution  is  not  essential,  as  any  intermediate 
strength  can  be  used  by  the  same  means  of  com- 
putation. 

A  solution  of  from  40  to  50  per  cent  is  about  the 
most  convenient. 

(d)  When  this  stock  solution  is  well  neutralized 
and  dissolved,  it  is  drawn  off  into  the  storage  vat, 
a  lead-lined  vat  the  same  as  the  mixing  vat,  except 
in  dimensions.     This  vat  is  provided  with  a  steam 
ejector  by  which  the  concentrated  stock  solution  is 
forced  into  the  solution  tub  or  tank  through  a  dis- 
charge  pipe    passing   over   the   top    and   there   dis- 
charging. 

PREPARATION    OF    DILUTED    TUB    SOLU- 
TION. 

Sec.  15.  (a)  Assuming  the  size  of  the  storage  vat 
to  be  8  by  12  feet,  area  being  96  feet,  and  the  solution 
tub  beinfy  30  feet  in  diameter,  wood  and  iron  bound, 
with  a  mean  area  of  664  square  feet,  then  we  have 
for  putting  up  the  stock  chloride  from  storage  vat 
to  the  diluted  solution  tub,  Table  "B,"  giving  the 
number  of  cubic  feet  of  stock  solution  for  each  tub 
foot  required,  hence  by  multiplying  this  by  the 
number  of  tub  feet  to  be  charged,  and  dividing  the 

53 


result  by  the  area  of  the  storage  vat   (96  sq.  ft.), 
gives  the  vertical  feet  to  put  up. 

Dilution  of  Chloride  Solution. 

(b)  To  make  up  the  first  tub  of  solution,  say  two 
per  cent  strong,  fill  solution  tub  with  water  to,  say 
17  feet,  the  tub  being  20  feet  deep,  each  tub  foot  be- 
ing equal  to  664  cubic  feet  (mean  area  of  tub)  by  17 
vertical  feet,  equal  11,288  cu,  ft.  multiplied  by  62.3 
Ibs.   (weight  of  cu.  ft.  of  water)   equals  703,242  Ibs. 
water. 

Then  as  98  per  cent  of  water  is  to  the  two  per 
cent  of  chloride,  so  is  703,242  Ibs.  of  water  to  14,352 
Ibs.  pure  chloride  required. 

Then  for  cubic  feet  in  volume  of  the  two  per  cent 
chloride  we  have:  Water,  703,242  Ibs.,  which  divide 
by  62.3  Ibs.  equals  11,288  cu.  ft.,  and  chloride,  14,352 
Ibs.,  which  divide  by  200.0  Ibs.,  equals  71.76,  making 
total  of  11,359.76  cubic  feet,  or  about  17.2  vertical  or 
tub  feet. 

DETERMINING  STRENGTH  OF  CHLORIDE 
SOLUTION. 

(c)  No  more  satisfactory  means  have  been  found 
for  testing  the  strength  of  the  chloride  solution  than 
the   Beaume   Hydrometer,   using  the  coarse   hydro- 
meter, one  to  sixty  degrees  for  the  concentrated  and 
the  fine  hydrometer,  one  to  six  degrees,  divided  to 
i-ioth  degree,  for  the  highly  diluted  solutions.     In 
the  heavier  solutions,  say  30  to  60  degrees,  the  influ- 
ence of  temperature  is  small,  so  that  no  account  need 
be  made  for  it,  but  with  that  highly  diluted  it  is 
necessary  to   define  the  effect  of  temperature  very 
carefully  to  get  true  measurement  of  strength. 

To  meet  this,  the  table  (A),  Figs.  32,  33  and  34, 
has  been  prepared  by  means  of  empiric  tests  sub- 
jected to  a  law  of  curve  developed  by  trial,  by  which 
a  close  approximation  has  been  made.  Comparison 
of  calculated  quantities  used  in  one  month's  run, 
with  the  actual  quantity  of  stock  used,  has  served 
to  confirm  the  exactness  of  the  tables. 

54 


Figs.  30  and  31  give  the  same  graphically,  the 
curves  described  being  true  spirals  both  as  to  the 
variation  under  increased  heat  and  for  the  points  at 
which  the  per  cent  of  strength  agrees  with  the  de- 
grees Beaume. 

The  use  of  the  hydrometer  is  impracticable  with 
the  glue  and  the  tannin  solution,,  either  being  about 
the  same  specific  gravity  as  water. 

WATER  FOR  DILUTION. 

Sec.  16.  It  is  here  proper  to  notice  the  character 
of  the  water  to  be  used  in  this  connection  in  making 
up  the  chloride  solution. 

In  carrying  through  the  process,  a  considerable 
quantity  of  water,  variously  estimated  at  15  to  25 
thousand  gallons  per  day  per  retort,  including  the 
supply  for  steam  and  circulating  purposes  as  well, 
is  used.  Pure  water  is  very  desirable  and  its  quan- 
tity is  important,  for,  should  it  be  bounteous,  much 
may  be  saved  in  water  saving  appliances.  There  are 
some  locations  where  it  is  desirable  to  locate  works 
that  the  quantity  is  meager  and  the  quality  is  poor. 

GELATINE   (Glue). 

Sec.  17.  Commercial  glue  of  good  quality  con- 
tains the  gelatine  which,  under  the  Wellhouse  proc- 
ess, forms  a  part  of  the  plugging  up  substance  by 
its  combination  with  the  tannin.  Glues  vary  con- 
siderably in  the  amount  of  gelatine  contained,  but 
60  per  cent  is  supposed  to  be  a  fair  estimate  for  a 
good  commercial  article. 

(a)  The  per  cent  in  weight  of  water  at  60  degrees 
Fah.  that  any  glue  will  absorb,  is  said  to  be  about 
the   best   test   of   quality.     A   first-class   glue,   it   is 
said,  will  absorb  13  parts  of  water  to  i  of  glue,  but 
it  is  found  that  some  of  the  best  cabinet  glues  will 
not  take  over  5  or  6  in  the  24  hours'  test. 

(b)  It  has  been,  and  now  is,  the  practice  to  use 
a  solution  in  combination  with  the  chloride  consist- 
ing of  one-half  of  one  per  cent  of  the  total  in  glue. 

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The  tannin  solution,  containing  the  same  amount  of 
tannin  extract  which  will  combine  in  about  equal 
parts,  forming  with  the  glue  the  leathery  substance 
in  the  wood  pores. 

(c)  The  specific  gravity  of  a  fair  glue  should  be, 
when  perfectly  dry,  about  1.42,  and  should   readily 
take  six  times  its  weight  of  water  when  immersed 
in  it  at  60  degrees  Fah.  for  24  hours. 

To  determine  the  specific  gravity  of  any  samole 
of  glue,  take  a  graduated  tube,  say  a  200  c.  cm. 
measure.  First  put  in  100  c.  cm.  water,  then  weigh 
out  one  ounce  of  the  dry  glue  and  drop  it  into  the 
tube,  noting,  immediately,  the  point  to  which  the 
water  is  raised  by  the  addition  of  the  glue.  The 
difference  in  the  height  of  the  water  in  the  tube  be- 
fore and  after  adding  the  glue,  will  be  the  volume 
of  the  one  ounce  of  glue  in  cubic  centimeters,  from 
which  its  weight  and  specific  gravity  can  at  once 
be  computed. 

(d)  Then  to  determine  the  amount  of  water  it 
will  absorb,  add  to  the  above  another  100  c.  cm.  of 
water,  place  it  in  a  place  where  the  temperature  is 
constant  at  60  degrees  Fah.  for  24  hours,  when  the 
proportion  of  water  unabsorbed  will  appear  clearly 
to  the  eye.     Note  this  in  c.  cm.  and  divide  by  the 
whole  200  c.   cm.   of   water,  thus  determining  the 
proportion  absorbed. 

(e)  In  a  one-half  of  one  per  cent  solution  of 
glue,  the  specific  gravity  will  be  inappreciably  greater 
than  pure  water,  so  that  the  only  means  of  deter- 
mining its  strength  is  to  carefully  weigh  in  the  dry 
glue  whenever  the  solution  is  renewed,  the  quantity 
of  glue  being  always  the  one-half  of  one  per  cent 
by  weight  of  water  charged  with  the  glue,  and  com- 
puted in  the  same  ways  as  for  the  chloride  solu- 
tion. 

(f)  It  is  usual,  on  account  of  impurities  in  the 
glue,  to  discount  these  by  putting  in  an  excess,  say 
where  100  pounds  of  tannin  is  called  for,  use  no 
pounds   of  glue.     While  it  is  understood  that  the 
glue  and  the  tannin  combine  in  about  equal  quanti- 

59 


ties,  yet  it  is  safe  to  have  a  slight  excess  of  the  for- 
mer, for  the  reason  that  if  glue  should  be  entirely  or 
even  partially  absent  there  would  be  no  action  by 
the  tannin,  and  it  would  ?o  back  into  the  solution 
tub  as  strong  as  before  used.  In  any  case,  if  suffi- 
cient glue  is  not  present,  full  action  of  the  tannin 
cannot  be  expected. 

To  determine  the  relative  value  of  glues  offered 
for  use  in  the  Wellhouse  or  Zinc  Tannin  process: 

(g)  First  prepare  a  four  per  cent  solution  of  hemlock 
extract  of  known  strength  (25  per  cent  to  27  per 
cent),  by  putting  one  ounce  of  extract  into  twelve 
ounces  of  pure  water.  Then  treat  one  ounce  of  the 
prepared  glue,  making  this  also  four  per  cent  strong. 
The  glue  and  water  being  brought  to  near  a  boil, 
say  175  to  180  degrees  Fah. 

Take  seven  test  tubes  fys  inch  by  6  inches,  placed 
in  a  rack  for  convenience  in  filling  and  for  observa- 
tion. Then  with  a  25  c.  cm.  measuring  tube,  put  into 
the  right-hand  tube  seven  c.  cm.  of  the  glue  solu- 
tion ;  into  the  second,  eight  c.  cm.,  and  so  on  until 
they  are  all  served.  Then  take  the  tannin  solution 
in  the  same  way  and  like  quantities,  except  that  the 
left-hand  tube  is  to  receive  the  c.  cm.  of  the  tannin, 
and  so  on,  increasing  toward  the  right.  Thus  it  will 
be  seen  that  the  fourth  tube  will  have  the  same 
quantity  of  each,  the  glue  and  the  tannin,  and  those 
on  each  hand  having  varying  proportions.  The  so- 
lution should  be  freshly  made  and  used  while  quite 
warm  and  each  tube  well  shaken  when  adding  the 
tannin  to  the  glue  in  the  tubes.  Ordinarily  it  is 
desirable  that  the  glue  be  such  as  will  combine 
with  an  equal  quantity  of  the  tannin.  Let  the  set 
of  tubes  stand  in  any  safe  place  for  an  hour  or  two 
and  the  result  in  the  tubes  will  be  manifest  to  the 
observer,  and  the  lesson  easily  understood. 

GELATINE. 

(Extract  from  letter  of  G.  M.  Hyams,  chemist,  to 
Chas.  Dyer,  July  7,  1889.  relative  to  the  use  of  glue 
in  timber  treating.) 


In  regard  to' the  preserving  process,  from  my  own 
experiments  and  analyses,  I  have  become  convinced 
that  the  quantity  of  organic  acids  in  the  pine  wood 
of  our  western  (Southwestern)  country  has  been 
much  overestimated.  Now  it  is  to  be  neutralized : 
these  acids  that  some  albumenoid  substance,  such 
as  glue,  has  to  be  added  to  the  timber  before  in- 
jecting chloride  of  zinc.  But  as  this  glue,  if  left  in 
the  pores  of  the  timber,  would  itself  decay,  it  in 
turn  has  to  be  neutralized,  and  for  this  purpose 
tannin  is  added.  If  now  we  can  lessen  the  quantity 
of  glue  to  be  added,  we  also  decrease  the  amount  of 
tannin  to  be  used,  and  this  makes  a  double  saving. 

In  order  to  find  out  the  minimum  quantity  of  ^glue 
necessary,  I  have  saturated  timber  in  small  pieces 
with  glue  and  then  determined  by  appropriate  meth- 
ods the  excess  from  my  results.  I  find  that  the 
quantity  is  only  about  one-fourth  that  ordinarily 
recommended.  The  most  important  fact,  however, 
of  this  branch  of  the  subject  is  the  quality  of  the 
glue  used,  as  we  are  seeking  here  the  soluble  al- 
buminoid principle  for  a  chemical  reaction,  namely, 
the  coagulation  of  the  vegetable  acids  of  the  wood. 
We  must  seek  for  a  different  test  in  our  glue  than 
merely  adhesion  (adhesiveness).  To  illustrate  my 
meaning — in  pieces  from  the  same  stick  of  timber 
I  have  used  the  following  quantities  for  the  same 
size: 

Glue  costing     5c.       8c.          12c         17c    blood  alb.  pure  alb. 
Took 15grs.    llgrs.  4  grs.   1.6  grs.    1.1  grs.        0.3  gr. 

You  will  then  readily  see  that,  provided  an  easily 
soluble  glue  costing  17  cents  is  used,  it  is  really 
much  cheaper  than  a  5-cent  article,  which  would 
not  be  the  case  if  we  looked  to  its  adhesive  qualities 
only. 

So-called  liquid  glue  is  a  good  illustration  also. 
I  believe  you  have  tried  this  and  found  it  not  to  be 
economical.  The  reason  is  simply  that  to  render  it 
soluble  and  liquid,  it  has  to  be  treated  chemically  in 
a  way  which  destroys  the  neutralizing  qualities  of 
the  albumen  and  practically  unfits  it  for  our  pur- 

61 


pose.  I  am  quite  sure  (confident)  that  with  the 
right  kind  of  glue  a  saving  of  20  per  cent  can  be 
accomplished. 

PENETRATION  OF  GLUE. 

The  tannin  and  glue  chiefly  goes  into  the  ends. 
At  the  Chicago  works  the  absorotion  of  each  varies 
from  0.017  to  0.034  cubic  feet  per  tie,  or  I  to  2  Its. 
per  tie  (lit.  eq.  .035  cu.  ft.),  so  that  the  solution  in- 
jected would  be  100  times  enough  to  cover  the  whole 
surface  1-32  inch  thick.  But  when  the  water  evap- 
orates we  have  left  only  the  percentage  of  leatheroid, 
say  i  to  2  per  cent,  which  would  cover  surface  1-32 
to  2-32  inch. 

Chicago,  Dec.  3,   1900.  O.  CHANUTE. 

TANNIN  EXTRACT. 

Sec.  18.  The  tannin  extract  of  hemlock  bark  is 
mostly  used  in  this  process,  containing  from  15  to 
30  per  cent  of  tannic  acid,  presumably  about  a  safe 
mean  of  22  per  cent. 

(a)  As  the  amount  of  active  properties  in  the 
combination,   both   as   to   the   glue   and   the  tannin, 
long  practice  has  taught  that  they  should  be  used 
in  about  equal  quantities.     As  the  glue  is  first  ab- 
sorbed, and  the  tannin  following  neutralizes  so  much 
of  the  glue  as  it  may  reach,  the  overplus  of  the 
tannin  being  carried  back  with  the  returned  solu- 
tion, there  is  no  waste  by  having  the  tannin  solution 
markedly  stronger   than  the  prescribed  one-half  of 
one  per  cent.     The  strength  of  the  tub  solution  of 
tannin  should  be  tested  from  time  to  time  by  com- 
parison of  its  action  on  a  reagent,  as  will  be  ex- 
plained later  on. 

(b)  As    regards   the  penetration   of   the   tannin 
into  the  timber,  although  the  tannin  solution  is  com- 
plete, that  is,  the  acid  is  held  in  complete  suspen- 
sion and  will  go  wherever  the  water  will  go,  yet  its 
action  is  and  must  be  largely  superficial  from  the 
fact  that  it  has  no  such  aid  or  favorable  conditions 


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as  does  the  chloride  solution.  That  there  is  a  por- 
tion  of  the  glue  not  reached  by  it  is  a  matter  of 
speculation,  and  it  is  probable  that  owing  to  the 
viscosity  of  the  glue  its  action  is  also  largely  super- 
ficial as  well.  Be  this  true,  it  is  what  it  should  be. 

(c)  The  hemlock  bark  extract  carrying  the  tan- 
nic  acid   is   of  a   reddish   brown  color,   hard   when 
cold,  but  when   under  temperature  of    100  degrees 
Fah.   or   over   is   the  consistency  of  thin  molasses 
and  flows  freely. 

Its  specific  gravity  is  about  1.22,  but  when  a  half 
of  one  per  cent  solution,  there  is  no  appreciable 
excess  over  pure  water. 

(d)  The  commercial  extract  is  put  into  barrels 
holding  about  five  hundred  pounds  and  over,  four 
or  five  barrels  usually  making  a  batch. 

To  thoroughly  dissolve,  a  quantity  of  water  is 
added  and  a  moderate  amount  of  steam  is  turned 
in  by  means  of  a  small  steam  pipe  in  the  tub,  by 
which  the  extract  is  thoroughly  agitated  and  mod- 
erately heated,  after  which  additional  water  can  be 
added,  so  that  some  fixed  depth  from  the  mixing 
tub  will  equal  the  quantity  of  tannin  needed  for 
each  tub  foot  in  the  tannin  solution  tub. 

(e)  When   tannin    and    glue    are    combined    the 
mixture,  after  time  is  given  for  the  combination  of 
the  two,  and  all  unassimilated  portions  are  washed 
out,  and  the   residuum  dried,  gives  a   dark-brown, 
semi-transparent   substance  that   is   quite   hard   and 
brittle.     It  is  insolvent  in  water  and  incombustible, 
simply  charring  to  a  cinder  much  as  would  be  with 
charred  leather.     Under  the  microscope  it  has  the 
appearance  of  an  opaque  resin,  and  a  similar  sub- 
stance by  appearance  is   found  in  the  sap  cells  of 
the  treated  timber,  not  in  untreated  timber. 

Sec.  19.  Alkaline  waters  usually  found  in  the 
western  plains  and  mountains  is,  while  undesirable, 
yet  not  unusable,  as  while  the  effect  is  to  some 
extent  deleterious,  yet  not  to  the  extent  that  would 
forbid  its  use.  One  of  the  effects  is  its  liability  to 
combine  with  the  zinc  chloride,  by  which  a  fraction 

65 


of  the  zinc  is  thrown  down,  reducing  its  effectiveness 
to  the  extent  of  such  combination. 

Another  effect  of  the  alkaline  water  is  to  affect 
the  specific  gravity  for  which  allowance  must  be 
made,  the  amount  to  be  determined  by  a  comparison 
with  distilled  water  at  60  degrees  Fah.  and  sub- 
tracting the  difference  from  the  hydrometric  reading 
in  testing  tub  solution. 

CHARACTER  OF  THE  WORK  AND  AP- 
PLIANCES. 

Sec.  20.  The  business  of  timber  treating  is  not 
new,  neither  has  it  been  successfully  employed  in  all 
cases.  It  has  had  to  pass  through  the  various  stages 
of  development  like  the  manufacture  of  steel,  Port- 
land cement  and  other  lines  of  manufacture,  with  its 
modicum  of  failures  and  successes.  Now,  when 
success  is  to  some  extent  attained,  it  is  believed  that 
the  exercise  of  knowledge  and  intelligence  is  the 
only  means  by  which  recurrent  failure  will  be 
avoided.  This  fact  cannot  be  too  deeply  impressed; 
also  that  a  thorough  knowledge  of  the  practical  part 
of  the  business,  the  movements  of  the  process  and 
the  nature  of  the  agent  used,  and  a  thorough  train- 
ing in  the  practical  handling  of  the  works  are  ab- 
solutely necessary  to  good  results.  In  the  operator, 
to  all  this  must  be  added  a  determined  rmrpose  to 
enforce  all  rules  and  requirements,  otherwise  fail- 
ure will  be  almost  sure  and  very  expensive. 

Sec.  21.  To  give  the  operator  a  fair  show  to 
carry  the  work  properly,  his  convenience  and  the 
efficiency  of  his  force,  as  well  as  the  economical 
operation  of  the  work,  must  be  considered  and  care- 
fully provided  for. 

Every  part  of  the  works  should  be  easy  of  access 
and  compactly  arranged  so  as  to  be  under  the  eye 
and  hand  of  the  operator. 

Every  part  should  be  substantially  built  so  that 
repairs  will  be  infrequent. 

Ample   store  houses  and  storage  for  all  material 

66 


and  stock  to  be  used,  as  well  as  a  good  stock  on 
hand,  should  be  provided. 

Each  machine,  pump,  engine,  boiler,  should  be 
selected  to  perform  the  kind  and  quantity  of  work 
that  is  expected  from  it,  as  the  failure  of  any  one 
to  perform  its  functions  promptly  and  properly  en- 
tails a  loss  of  time  for  the  plant  and  its  whole  force. 
Where  so  much  capital  is  involved,  it  is  worth  while 
to  attend  to  these  considerations  at  the  start. 

INSTALLATION. 

Sec.  22.  When  the  retort  and  all  the  machinery 
are  in  place  and  the  works  generally  in  condition  to 
commence  operation,  the  following  preparatory  steps 
are  necessary  to  prevent  confusion  and  to  secure 
the  data  that  is  necessary  for  future  computations 
and  operation. 

All  tanks,  reservoirs,  tubs  and  vats  should  be 
filled  with  water  so  as  to  cause  the  wood  to  swell 
to  tightness;  the  steam  pipes,  with  steam  and  all 
other  pipes,  including  the  retort,  with  water,  so  that 
all  leakage  can  be  discovered  and  cured  and  that 
everything  be  permanently  and  reliably  tight,  150 
Ibs.  cold  water  pressure  to  be  put  on  as  final  test. 

The  pumps  and  machinery  should  be  connected 
and  steam  put  on  and  everything  tested  as  to  its 
running  promptly  and  in  good  order. 

The  retort  door  should  be  carefully  adjusted  so 
that  the  gland  will  correspond  exactly  with  the  pack- 
ing groove  in  the  retort  flange  and  the  door  swing 
freely  and  truly  on  its  hinges ;  that  the  locking 
levers  radiate  truly  from  the  center  and  that  the 
"Y"  bolts  be  well  adjusted,  so  that,  in  closing  the 
door,  all  the  levers  will  come  to  bearing  at  the 
same  time. 

VOLUME  OF  RETORT. 

Sec.  23.  In  computing  the  amount  of  absorption, 
the  amount  of  timber,  etc.,  in  volume,  it  is  necessary 
to  know  exactly  how  much  the  retort  holds. 

Close   the    retort,   note   the   indicator  reading  on 

67 


the  solution  tub,  then  open  the  main  valve  and  en- 
tirely fill  the  retort  with  the  water,  again  reading 
the  indicator,  and  the  vertical  feet  used  by  the  area 
of  the  tub  will  be  the  volume  of  the  retort.  It  would 
be  well  to  include  such  number  of  tram  cars  as  are 
used  in  a  charge  of  ties,  as  this  will  be  used  in  case 
of  ties  at  all  times.  This,  if  carefully  done,  is  more 
exact  than  any  computation  that  could  be  made. 

PREPARING  THE  CHEMICALS. 

Sec.  24.  Before  proceeding  to  start  the  works, 
each  of  the  chemicals  must  be  prepared  in  such 
quantities  as  will  keep  on  hand  a  stock  sufficient  to 
prevent  delay  in  the  work.  Each  solution  tub  should 
be  filled  to  near  its  full  capacity  with  a  solution  of 
proper  strength,  ready  for  instant  use.  For  this  part 
of  the  work  a  carefully  instructed  assistant  should 
be  employed  and  held  responsible  for  the  proper 
handling  and  mixing,  and  also  that  sufficient  stock 
is  held  ready  for  use. 

CHLORIDE  OF  ZINC. 

Sec.  25.  The  preparation  of  the  stock  solution 
and  its  dilution  in  the  solution  tub  is  fully  treated  in 
sections  17  and  19,  so  that  it  is  only  necessary  here 
to  notice  the  method  by  which  the  stock  of  solution 
is  kept  up,  both  in  quantity  and  strength,  by  more 
or  less  frequent  renewals.  If  three  retorts  are  sup- 
plied from  a  3O-foot  tub  there  will  be  required  some- 
thing like  ten  tub  feet  daily,  hence  this  many  tub 
feet  should  be  supplied  each  day.  This  operation 
consists  of  pumping  so  many  feet  of  water  into  the 
tub  and  immediately  adding  the  required  quantity 
of  the  chloride  as  indicated  in  Figures  30  and  31, 
multiplying  this  by  the  number  of  tub  feet  put  up. 

For  example,  suppose  that  8^  tub  feet  is  wanted 
and  the  water  has  been  put  up,  the  strength  to  be 
2^2  per  cent  and  the  stock  solution  is  40  per  cent 
strong.  We  see  by  table  "B"  that  it  requires  30.173 
cubic  feet  of  stock  solution  to  bring  each  tub  foot 


up  to  2^  per  cent,  then  8^x30.173  equal  256.47 
cubic  feet  of  stock  solution.  Divide  this  by  area  of 
storage  vat  (96  sq.  ft.)  will  give  2.67  vertical  feet 
of  the  40  per  cent  chloride  to  be  put  up. 

Sec.  26.  If  more  than  three  retorts  are  operated, 
an  additional  storage  vat  or  a  larger  one  will  be 
necessary,  as  the  above  indicates  very  nearly  the 
capacity  of  one  of  the  size  indicated,  and  another 
solution  tub  will  be  necessary. 

Sec.  27.  As  before  indicated,  the  solution  should 
be  tested  by  means  of  the  fine  Beaume  hydrometer 
to  check  the  strength,  and  should  it,  after  being 
well  agitated,  be  found  too  strong  or  too  weak,  then 
addition  of  water  in  the  former  or  chloride  in  the 
latter  case  is  required,  the  amount  of  each  to  be 
computed  as  before.  The  deficit  in  either  case 
will  be  proportional  as  the  per  cent.  Table  "B" 
contains  quantities  for  an  error  of  one-quarter  of 
one  per  cent,  which  saves  trouble  sometimes,  and 
is  near  enough  for  most  cases. 

Sec.  28.  The  matter  of  monthlv  stock  will  be  now 
noticed  as  the  same  computation  comes  in  here. 
At  the  starting  of  the  works,  or  at  the  beginning  of 
each  month,  there  is  a  certain  amount  of  stock  in 
the  ware  house  and  perhaps  more  arriving.  To 
keep  a  proper  account  it  is  necessary  to  know  how 
much  stock  has  been  used  in  the  month,  or  perhaps 
in  a  separate  lot  of  timber,  hence  the  stock  account 
should  show  just  how  much  is  on  hand  at  any  mo- 
ment. This  will  consist  of  stock  in  warehouse, 
stock  in  dissolving  vats,  in  storage  vat  and  also  in 
the  solution  tub,  and,  knowing  the  strength  of  each, 
the  whole  can  be  summed  up  as  if  it  was  still  in  the 
original  package. 

The  simple  rule  for  solution  anywhere  near  two 
per  cent  will  be  to  call  each  cubic  foot  equal  to 
63.4  Ibs.  Multiplying  this  by  the  total  number  of 
cubic  feet  in  the  tub  and  again  by  the  hydrometric 
strength,  will  give  the  number  of  pounds  pure 
chloride  in  the  solution  tub.  For  mixing  and  storage 
vats  use  table  "B." 


GELATINE. 

Sec.  29.  Resuming  the  consideration  of  glue  from 
Sec.  17,  we  will  take  up  its  preparation  with  refer- 
ence to  its  immediate  use  at  the  works.  Glue  comes 
to  the  works  in  barrels  of  250  Ibs.  or  thereabout,  and 
is  dissolved  in  a  small  tank  or  dissolving  tub  into 
which  some  water  has  been  put.  The  packages  first 
being  weighed,  then  broken,  and  after  turning  the 
glue  into  the  tub  the  empty  barrel  is  weighed  and 
the  net  amount  of  glue  noted. 

Four  or  five  barrels  can  be  used  at  one  time, 
filling  the  tub  with  water,  so  that  the  glue  be  well 
covered  and  left  to  soak  for  as  long  a  time  as  the 
exigencies  of  the  work  will  allow;  preferably  24 
hours.  A  little  steam  is  then  applied  so  as  to  render 
the  glue  homogeneous,  adding  further  amount  of 
water  to  bring  up  the  volume  so  that  some  fixed 
measure  will  indicate  how  much  to  throw  up  for 
each  tub  foot  of  the  solution. 

If  a  tub  foot  contains  664  cubic  feet  of  chloride 
solution,  the  weight  of  which  is  63.4  Ibs.,  then  there 
will  be  a  total  weight  of  42,098  Ibs.,  of  which  one- 
half  of  one  per  cent  would  be  210.5  Ibs.  of  glue  re- 
quired for  each  tub  foot.  But  remembering  that  in 
Sec.  17  ten  per  cent  is  to  be  added,  brings  the 
amount  per  tub  foot  to  230  Ibs. 

Dividing  the  amount  of  glue  put  into  the  dissolv- 
ing tub  by  230  Ibs.,  will  give  the  number  of  tub  feet 
that  it  will  supply  with  the  required  per  cent. 

The  strength  of  the  glue,  whether  mixed  with  the 
chloride  or  used  separately,  is  supposed  to  remain 
constant,  only  needing  new  supply  in  proportion  to 
the  water  added  in  keeping  up  the  stock  of  solution. 

TANNIN. 

Sec.  30.  The  tannin  being  applied  separately  and 
being  the  last  application  is  prepared  in  its  separate 
mixing  tub  or  vat  and  used  from  there  by  means 
of  the  same  ejector  as^  the  glue,  diluting  it  in  the 
tannin  solution  tub  in  like  manner  to  the  glue. 

70 


The  tannin  solution  is  absorbed  to  a  very  much 
less  degree  than  the  chloride  (usually  only  about 
one-tenth  in  volume),  owing  to  the  timber  having 
already  been  well  impregnated  and  to  the  less  favor- 
able condition  for  absorption.  The  tannin  solution 
actually  loses  much  more  of  its  tannic  acid  than  is 
contained  in  the  amount  of  absorption  of  the  charge, 
it  being  remembered  that  some  twenty  times  the 
amount  absorbed  has  been  in  contact  with  the  charge 
with  its  quota  of  glue,  and  therefore  is*  depleted  to 
the  extent  of  the  tannin  needed  to  neutralize  the 
glue,  therefore  the  following:  Rule  for  keeping  up 
the  strength  of  the  tannic  solution : 

"To  the  amount  in  volume  absorbed  add  the 
amount  of  chloride  solution  absorbed ;  to  the  sum  of 
these  add  tannin  equal  to  one-half  of  one  per  cent 
in  weight  of  tannin  extract." 

COMPUTATIONS. 

DURING    OPERATIONS. 

Sec.  31.  During  the  operations  of  the  works  it 
is  necessary  to  know  how  much  timber  there  is  in 
the  charge,  how  much  of  each  solution  has  gone 
into  it,  etc.,  so  as  to  be  able  to  know  that  the  work 
is  being  properly  done  and  that  accurate  accounts 
may  be  kept  of  the  amount  of  chemicals  used.  To 
do  this,  the  volume  of  the  retort  should  be  accu- 
rately taken  as  before  noticed.  (Sec.  23),  and  the 
various  solution  tubs  should  be  provided  with  accu- 
rate gauges,  by  means  of  which  the  operator  can 
note  the  amount  in  the  tub  before  starting,  at  various 
periods  between  and  at  the  close  of  the  operation. 

These  gauges  should  consist  of  a  graduated  board 
divided  into  feet  and  tenths,  a  good  float  on  the 
solution  in  the  tub  and  an  indicator  weight  or 
pointer  working  freely  by  means  of  a  cord  up  and 
down  the  graduated  face  of  the  indicator  board. 
This  indicator  should  be  placed  where  it  will  be  in 
plain  sight  of  the  operator  and  should  be  lighted  at 
night  so  as  to  be  easily  read. 

71 


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VOLUME  OF  TIMBER. 

Sec.  32.  To  compute  the  volume  of  the  timber  in 
the  charge :  Take  the  lowest  reading  of  the  chloride 
indicator  from  the  reading  after  the  solution  is 
fully  forced  back.  This  difference  is  the  number  of 
tub  feet  that  was  in  the  retort  after  absorption  is 
completed,  hence,  when  reduced  to  cubic  feet,  will 
be  the  number  of  cubic  feet  outside  the  charge,  and 
taking  this  from  the  known  volume  of  the  retort, 
the  remainder  will  be  the  volume  of  the  charge  in 
crbic  feet  of  timber 

ABSORPTION   OF  CHLORIDE,   TANNIN   OR 
GLUE. 

Sec.  33.  Take  the  indicator  reading  after  com- 
pleting forcing  back  from  the  reading  at  commenc- 
ing, tne  remainder  will  be  the  tub  feet  of  solution 
absorbed.  Reduce  this  to  cubic  feet,  multiply  it  by 
63.4  Ibs.  (close  approximate  weight  per  cubic  foot), 
which  gives  the  number  of  pounds  solution  absorbed 
by  the  charge.  Then  again  to  determine  the  number 
of  pounds  pure  chloride,  multiply  this  by  the  per 
cent  of  strength  of  the  solution  (hydrometric,  say 
.02  or  .025,  as  the  case  may  be),  the  product  is  the 
number  of  pounds  pure  chloride  absorbed  by  the 
charge. 

Then,  again,  divide  this  by  the  total  number  of 
cubic  feet  in  the  charge  as  before  found,  and  the 
result  will  be  the  pounds  or  fraction  of  a  pound  of 
pure  chloride  per  cubic  foot  of  timber. 

The  same  rule  applies  to  absorption  of  tannin  and 
also  glue  where  it  is  applied  separately  from  the 
chloride,  only  different  in  the  last  multiplier,  which 
is  .005  or  one-half  of  one  per  cent. 

ABSORPTION   BY   VOLUME. 

Sec.  34.  A  very  useful  and  instructive  test  of  tim- 
ber as  to  its  adaptability  to  receive  treatment  is  de- 
termined by  its  ability  to  absorb  the  solution.  This 

76 


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FIG.  38— CONDENSED  STATEMENT  OF  OPERATION.  LAS  VEGAS,  1885-6. 


, 


FIG.  39— OPERATOR'S  REPORT. 
78 


is  found  by  dividing  the  number  of  cubic  feet  of 
solution  absorbed  by  the  number  of  cubic  feet  of 
timber  in  the  charge. 

RECORD  OF  ROUTINE  WORK. 

Sec.  35.  To  have  a  complete  record  of  the  oper- 
ation a  blank  form  should  be  provided  for  the  oper- 
ator to  record  every  move,  the  directing  column 
being  printed  on  the  right  hand  with  any  convenient 
number  of  columns  in  blank  arranged  to  the  left,  say 
six  for  the  proper  entries  in  ink,  each  blank  column 
to  receive  the  record  of  one  run. 

The  items  to  be  entered  are  as  follows:  Run 
Number;  Retort  Number;  Commenced  steaming; 
Twenty  pounds  indicated  (time)  ;  Blow  off  (time)  ; 
Commence  vacuum  (time)  ;  Twenty-five  inches  indi- 
cated (time) ;  Indicator  chloride  tank  (feet  and 
tenths)  ;  Chloride  introduced  (time)  ;  lop  Ibs.  pres- 
sure indicated  (time) ;  Lowest  point  indicator  (feet 
and  tenths)  ;  Started  forcing  back  (time)  ;  Com- 
pleted forcing  back  (time)  ;  Indicator  chloride  tank 
(feet  and  tenths)  ;  Indicator  glue  tank  (feet  and 
tenths)  ;  Introduce  glue  (time) ;  Force  back  glue 
(time)  ;  Indicator  glue  tank  (feet  and  tenths)  ;  In- 
dicator tannin  tank  (feet  and  tenths) ;  Introduce 
tannin  (time)  ;  Force  back  tannin  (time)  ;  Indicator 
tannin  (feet  and  tenths). 

Number  of  ties;  Cubic  feet  of  timber  in  run 
( computed) ;  Absorption  of  chloride  in  vol.  per 
cent  (computed);  Strength  of  chloride  solution  (per 
cent  nydrometric);  Absorption  pure  chloride  to  cubic 
foot  of  timber  in  Ibs.  Time  consumed  in  run  (hours); 
time  consumed  in  shift;  kind  of  timber  treated. 

On  left  of  last  column  should  be  date,  temperature 
of  solution  when  tested,  hydrometric  reading  and 
signature  of  operator. 

With  such  a  report  filled  out  for  each  and  every 
run,  departure  from  the  prescribed  routine  cannot 
be  concealed,  but  will  be  apparent. 

While  the  requirements  above  say  feet  and  tenths, 


it  is  possible  with  care  to  read  the  indicator  to  hun- 
dredths  of  a  foot,  and  this  should  be  done. 

MEASURING    SAPS    EXTRACTED. 

Sec.  36.  Recurring  to  the  practicability  of  meas- 
uring or  determining  the  actual  amount  of  saps 
extracted  from  the  timber  with  any  degree  of 
accuracy  is  doubted.  It  is  found  that  very  dry  tim- 
ber, after  being  steamed,  is  invariably  heavier  if 
withdrawn  at  end  of  the  vacuum  than  when  intro- 
duced, showing  that  the  timber  has  absorbed  a 
greater  amount  of  moisture  than  replaces  the  saps 
extracted.  On  the  other  hand,  very  green  or  water- 
logged timber  will  be  markedlv  lighter,  the  only 
conclusion  we  can  draw  is  that  more  moisture  has 
been  withdrawn  than  went  in  in  the  form  of  con- 
densed steam,  but  how  much  sap  came  out  or  how 
much  condensed  steam  passed  in  and  remains  in  the 
timber  is  impossible  to  tell.  The  fact  of  the  matter 
is  that  during  the  process  of  steaming  large  amounts 
of  the  saps  are  blown  out  with  the  condensed  steam 
in  keeping  the  retort  clear  of  condensations,  the 
quantity  being  of  such  amount  as  to  load  the  out- 
flowing water  highly  with  the  juices  of  the  timber. 
This  is  entirely  outside  of  that  collected  by  the  hot 
well,  and  of  much  greater  volume. 

KIND  OF  TIMBER  AND  CONDITION. 

Sec.  37.  The  soft  and  open  grained  timbers,  such 
as  the  southern  lowland  pine  and  the  mountain 
pines  of  the  west,  have  been  submitted  to  treatment 
with  a  high  degree  of  success.  The  life  of  these 
pines  are,  when  laid  without  treatment,  from  three 
to  four  and  one-half  years  when  cut  from  young 
growing  timber  in  the  form  of  pole  ties.  Later, 
hemlock,  tamarack  and  even  cpttonwood  have 
been  used  with  good  result,  the  life  when  treated 
by  the  Wellhouse  process  being  prolonged  very 
much.  While  sufficient  record  as  to  the  relative  life 

80 


Art 

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81 


in  each  case  has  not  been  kept,  yet  it  is  presumed 
that  it  would  be  found  to  be  at  least  double,  some 
estimating  it  at  three  times. 

In  the  case  of  heart  timber  that  is  sound  and  well 
matured  the  life  can  be  safely  placed  at  50  per  cent 
higher,  as  heart  timber  is  more  lasting  on  account 
of  its  maturity  and  firmness  of  fiber  and  greater 
freedom  from  fermenting  juices. 

While  it  is  true  that  sap  and  open  grained  timber 
will  absorb  more  of  the  antiseptic  solution  than 
well-matured  heart  timber,  and  is,  by  some,  con- 
sidered most  suitable  for  treatment,  yet  it  is  not  clear 
that  the  very  best  timber  cannot  be  treated  with 
equal  profit. 

The  fact  probably  is,  that  any  timber,  not  exclud- 
ing the  best  white  or  buroak,  will  be  benefited  to 
such  extent  as  to  be  profitable  and  advantageous 
by  the  prolongation  of  its  usefulness. 

That  a  compact  timber  will  not  absorb  as  large 
amount  of  the  preservative  is  owing  to  the  large 
amount  of  solid  wood  fiber  and  the  smaller  per  cent 
of  voids  in  the  timber,  which  only  serve  for  the 
lodgment  of  the  preservative,  hence  this  should  be 
no  reason  tor  barring  it  out,  but,  on  the  contrary, 
should  be  in  its  favor. 

The  available  voids  in  timber  varies  from  20  per 
cent  :n  volume  for  compact  heart  timber  to  over 
6p  per  cent  for  Texas  short  leaf  pine.  The  compact 
timber  is  net  confined  to  the  oak,  hickory,  etc.,  but 
will  be  found  among  the  pines.  In  almost  all  cases 
the  best  timber  is  found  in  the  lower  part  or  butt  cut 
of  the  tree. 

All  in  all,  it  is  true  that  the  better  the  timber  the 
better  the  tie.  whether  treated  or  otherwise,  in  spite 
of  its  inability  to  absorb  so  much  of  the  antiseptic. 

SEASONING. 

^  Sec.  38.  To  secure  the  best  possible  results,  any 
timber  should  have  such  an  amount  of  seasoning  as 
will  free  it  largely  of  the  green  saps  existing  in  the 


live  tree  when  cut,  or  to  such  extent  as  may  be  prac- 
ticable by  exposure  to  a  dry  atmosphere  for  perhaps 
from  60  to  ox)  days;  more  time  in  a  damp,  rainy 
climate  than  in  a  dry,  sunshiny  exposure. 

Practically  speaking,  the  determination  of  condi- 
tion of  timber  suitable  must  be  largely  a  matter  of 
judgment  with  the  further  aid  of  actual  results  when 
put  through  the  process. 

If  perforce  timber  is  treated  while  in  a  water- 
logged or  green,  freshly  cut  condition,  then  spe- 
cial means  must  be  resorted  to,  prolongation  of 
steaming,  interposition  of  extra  vacuum,  prolonga- 
tion of  pressure  on  solution,  or  all  of  these,  but  as 
a  rule  this  should  not  be  done  if  possible  to  avoid 
it,  as  the  results  will  be  uncertain. 

Kiln  drying  is  recommended  by  some,  but  this 
adds  too  much  to  the  expense  and  cannot  be  as 
good  in  any  case  as  Nature's  action  with  time. 

STORAGE  OF  TIES  IN  STORAGE  YARD. 

Where  it  is  desired  to  give  a  season  of  drying  to 
incoming  ties,  a  method  of  piling  is  advised  where 
the  air  has  fair  access  to  most  of  the  surface  of  the 
ties.  In  practice  a  course  of  four  alternating  with 
a  cross  course  of  seven  in  the  case  of  average  hewn 
ties  will  do  this  fairly  well.  Ties  so  cribbed  in  a 
dry  climate  have  been  known  to  lose  the  greater 
part  of  their  water  in  one  month. 

STORAGE   ROOM. 

It  is  found  that  if  storage  tracks  are  spaced  64 
feet  center  to  center  six  cribs  can  be  piled,  still 
leaving  ample  clearance  for  use  of  tracks  by  passing 
cars. 

UNLOADING  AND  PILING. 

Where  taken  from  cars  the  piles  can  be  made  as 
high  as  the  too  of  the  cars,  say  12  feet,  and  if  piled 
as  before  stated  there  will  be  six  piles  of  no  ties 

84 


each  every  10  feet  of  the  space  between  tracks.  At 
this  rate  the  space  required  per  tie  would  be  one 
square  foot  of  ground  in  the  storage  part  of  the 
yard.  Hence,  a  yard  1,500  feet  long  and  350  feet 
wide  would  store  525,000  ties.  If  the  ties  to  be 
stored  are  sawed  ties,  the  amount  that  could  be 
stored  would  be  25  to  33  per  cent  greater. 

Sec.  39.  Live  and  growing  timber  with  its  natural 
saps  and  its  sap  cells  in  their  normal  condition 
will  resist  the  introduction  of  any  fluid,  much  on 
the  principle  that  two  bodies  cannot  occupy  the 
same  space  at  the  same  time.  To  be  able  to  intro- 
duce any  solution,  the  natural  saps  of  the  timber 
must  be  in  some  way  freed  and  expelled  from  the 
timber  either  by  being  evaporated  by  drying  or  must 
be  forced  out  by  heating,  loosening  and  expanding 
into  vapor,  as  is  done  under  the  steaming  process. 
The  saps  in  freshly  cut  timber  will  immediately  be- 
gin to  evaporate  when,  under  favorable  conditions, 
the  ^timber  is  exposed  to  the  air,  the  action  com- 
mencing on  the  exposed  surface  and  gradually  ad- 
vancing toward  the  center  of  the  piece,  but  if,  on 
the  contrary,  it  is  exposed  to  much  dampness  and 
high  climatic  temperature,  the  evaporation  pro- 
gresses very  slowly  and  the  fermentation  of  the 
juices  of  the  timber  will  act  quickly,  forming  at  once 
the  basis  of  active  decay.  The  time  required  to  dry 
the  timber  by  exposure  to  the  atmosphere  alone  will 
go  far  toward  its  destruction,  the  fermentation  of  the 
saps  forming  the  fungi  of  decay,  attacking  the  deli- 
cate cells  and  more  delicate  and  less  compact  por- 
tions of  the  timber  and  then  the  firmer  portions, 
until,  in  a  few  months,  the  timber  becomes  spongy 
throughout.  Timber  that  has  reached  this  stage  will 
take  the  solution  freely,  but  if  decay  has  gone  so  far 
as  to  allow  excessive  absorption,  it  will  be  of  little 
value  even  if  treated. 

Sec.  40.  Under  the  action  of  steam  in  the  retort, 
the  juices  are  heated  to  such  temperature  as  will 
expel  them  rapidly,  arresting  any  incipient  decay 
and  destroying  the  delicate  mechanism  of  the  sap 

85 


cells,  clearing  the  way  for  the  ingress  of  the  solution. 
Microscopic  examination  proves  this  to  be  true. 

It  is,  therefore,  important  that  the  time  the  steam 
is  held  must  be  adjusted  to  the  condition  of  the  tim- 
ber, the  most  important  consideration  being  that 
its  action  shall  reach  the  center  of  the  piece. 

The  rule  here  adopted  is  for  20  Ibs.  pressure,  which 
is  equal  to  250  degrees  Fah.,  which  is  the  highest 
degree  of  heat  allowable  to  which  the  timber  can  be 
subjected  without  injury.  The  steam  used  should 
be  saturated  steam,  as  with  superheated  steam  the 
temperature  is  uncertain,  while  no  special  advantage 
is  gained. 

PENETRATION   OF  STEAM. 

To  determine  when  the  penetration  of  steam  dur- 
ing the  steaming  process  has  reached  the  center  of 
the  piece,  the  following  is  proposed :  Fix  a  con- 
necting pipe  to  the  lower  dome,  so  that  the  con- 
densation during  the  steaming  can  be  frequently 
drawn,  the  pipe  running  to  a  sink  in  the  machinery 
room,  and  provided  with  a  small  cock.  Then  at 
intervals  of  a  half  hour,  draw  from  this  saving  a 
small  quantity  to  fill  a  test  tube.  A  rack  holding 
10  or  12  tubes  will  suffice  for  six  hours'  steaming. 
The  operator  will  then  have  before  him  a  means  of 
judging  when  the  off- fall  of  the  timber  juices  is 
complete.  It  is  not  expected  to  thus  form  a  definite 
rule,  but  to  give  a  hint  that  may  aid  very  much  in 
determining  when  the  penetration  is  complete. 

The  different  timbers,  of  course,  give  different  ao- 
pearances  in  the  off-fall,  hence  the  operator  has  to 
read  the  signs  and  draw  conclusions.  The  main 
point  is  to  know  when  the  timber  is  cooked  through, 
as  on  this  will  depend  largely  the  thoroughness  of 
the  penetration  of  the  antiseptic,  whether  it  be  oil 
or  solution. 

THE   ECONOMIES. 

Sec.  41.  The  following  estimate  is  based  upon  the 
conditions  existing  on  the  A.,  T.  &  S.  F.  Railroad 
line  in  New  Mexico  in  1885. 

86 


The   prolongation   of   life   of   the    Mountain    Pine 
there  used,  from  a  mean  of  four  and  one-half  years 
to   about  twelve  years,   is  quite   well  authenticated. 
On  this  is  based  the  following  estimate : 
For  a  period  of  twelve  years. 
Untreated  tie  placed  22-3d  times 

Cost  of  tie,  35C.X2  2-3  times $0.93 

Cost  of  placing  in  track,  2  2-3d  ts.     .40 — $1.33 

Treated  tie,  one,  350 $0.35 

Cost  of  treating,   150 15 

Cost  of  placing,  I5c 15 — $0.65 

Making  a  saving  in  twelve  years  of  68  cents  per 
tie  or  five  and  two-thirds  cents  per  tie  per  annum. 

To  more  fully  appreciate  what  this  means,  multi- 
ply this  by  2640  ties  in  each  mile  you  have  $149.50, 
or  approximately  $150  per  mile  per  annum.  As  the 
works  built  in  1885  consisted  of  two  retorts,  with 
annual  capacity  of  400,000  ties,  sufficient  to  renew 
300  tits  per  mile  on  1,333  miles,  the  annual  saving 
on  this  basis  would  be  something  like  $200,000. 

The  Las  Vegas  Works  cost  about  $30,000,  a  small 
part  of  the  annual  saving  (about  15  per  cent). 

GENERAL    OBSERVATIONS. 

Sec.  42.  In  a  general  way,  the  true  value  of  the 
results  must  be  deducted  from  the  mass  of  and  not 
from  individual  cases  or  of  a  few  specimen  pieces. 

The  variations  in  density  and  other  conditions  are 
as  various  as  there  are  varieties  of  timber  or  parts  in 
the  tree.  Then  again,  even  with  the  most  careful 
inspection  timber  more  or  less  unsound  will  come 
with  the  rest,  to  disturb  the  investigator  should  he 
resort  entirely  to  chemical  analysis  on  which  to 
found  an  opinion  as  to  the  thoroughness  of  the  treat- 
ment or  the  value  of  the  results. 

Speaking  from  a  practical  point  of  view,  the  fol- 
lowing line  of  reasoning  will  apply:  The  agents 
used  c.r&  commercial  commodities  used  in  gross 
amounts  as  salt  is  used  to  preserve  meat,  a  small 

87 


variation  cutting  a  figure  only  where  large  quantities 
are  used,  where  system  will  conserve  economy,  but 
where  no  slight  variation  will  affect  the  efficiency  of 
the  treatment.  In  this  the  chemist  can  guard  against 
the  purchase  of  adulterated  stock. 

Again,  the  rules  and  methods  for  the  zinc-tannin 
and  kindred  processes  are  so  well  defined  that  the 
operator,  with  the  exercise  of  good  judgment,  can 
get  almost  any  desired  result,  and  will  know  just 
what  he  is  doing  as  to  amount  of  absorption.  He 
will  know  that  when  he  puts  in  a  tie  weighing  100 
Ibs.  and  it  comes  out  weighing  175  Ibs.  that  it  has 
absorbed  75  Ibs.,  no  more,  no  less,  and  knowing  the 
strength  of  the  solution,  he  can  safely  say  that  it  has 
just  so  much  pure  chemical  agent,  whatever  it  may 
be  in  it.  To  determine  how  much  has  been  ab- 
sorbed by  any  or  every  particular  piece  in  the  charge 
is  manifestly  impracticable,  hence  only  the  gross 
result  is  manifest  at  the  time. 

It  must  be  remembered  that  each  of  the  different 
processes  have  been  carried  on  for  years,  and  their 
effectiveness  and  value  are  no  longer  in  the  field  of 
theory,  the  proofs  of  effectiveness  having  been  se- 
cured after  the  lapse  of  sufficient  time  to  amount  to  a 
demonstration.  The  chemist  may  find  a  tie  that  has 
been  in  service  15  or  more  years  that  has  but  a  trace 
of  the  chemical,  and  he  may  find  one  of  the  same 
timber  that  has  failed  at  less  than  five  years,  both 
having  been  treated  in  the  same  charge,  yet  for 
reasons  before  given  this  proves  nothing  as  to  the 
real  value  of  the  process  or  of  its  failure. 

The  operator  that  is  armed  with  a  thorough  knowl- 
edge of  chemistry  has  something  that  will  be  of 
great  aid  to  him,  but  he  will  find  it  of  much  more 
importance  to  study  the  mechanical  and  physical 
features  of  his  work,  for  instance,  whether  his  steam 
reaches  the  center  of  a  tie,  what  the  best  temperature 
for  his  solution,  how  various  timbers  are  best  ren- 
dered penetrable,  and  a  hundred  other  matters  vital 
to  the  success  of  the  process. 

88 


CAUTIONARY. 

Sec.  43.  In  conclusion,  and  at  the  risk  of  repe- 
tition, the  operator  is  reminded  that  it  is  of  the  ut- 
most importance  that  every  part  of  the  work  is 
carried  out  according  to  the  Vules  laid  down,  that 
the  condition  of  the  timber  be  carefully  studied  and 
the  best  method  be  adopted  to  meet  this,  that  every 
precaution  be  taken  to  detect  any  failure  that  may 
occur  and  to  take  the  proper  means  to  rectify  this 
even  to  a  repetition  of  the  treatment,  and  to  labor 
to  instruct  those  under  him  in  the  highest  possible 
degree  to  the  same  end. 

By  no  other  means  can  good  results  be  surely  ob- 
tained, and  any  mistakes  escaping  his  vigilance, 
while  not  immediately  apparent,  will  tell  seriously 
some  time  in  the  future. 

Extraneous  influences  will  often  be  brought  to 
bear  to  have  received  and  treated  timbers  not  in 
proper  condition*  to  be  treated,  but  such  should  be 
received  under  protest  if  received  at  all,  and  a  record 
should  be  made  of  these  facts.  In  this  way  only  will 
the  process  be  protected  against  unfair  charges  of 
failure. 

The  operator  probably  will  have  little  control  as 
to  timber  delivered  to  him  for  treatment,  but  it  is 
his  duty  to  see*  that -each  different  class  or  kind  is 
treated  separately  as  far  as  is  possible,  and  to  study 
the  method  of  handling  the  process  best  adapted  to 
each,  bringing  every  check  in  his  reach  to  bear,  not 
forgetting  the  weighing  and  other  means  of  develop- 
ing the  best  methods. 

BURNETTIZING. 

For  the  Burnettizing  process  the  appliances  are  the 
same  as  for  the  Zinc-Tannin  except  that  the  tubs  for 
the  glue  and  for  the  tannin  can  be  omitted  and  that 
part  of  the  pipings  by  which  they  connect  to  the  re- 
tort are  also  omitted.  The  precaution  is  usually 
taken  to  put  in  connections  for  the  piping  so  that  in 
case  of  change  to  the  other  process,  that  much  labor 
and  expense  is  saved  by  so  doing. 


FOR  CREOSOTING. 

(a)  The  additions  necessary  to  provide  for  creo- 
soting  are  the  necessary  storage  tub,  which  should  be 
pt  metal,  as  well  as  a  dumping  tank  in  which  the  oil 
is  dumped  from  the  tank  car  in  which  it  is  usually 
shipped  to  the  works.     The  capacity  of  the  storage 
tub  depends  upon  the  desired  capacity  of  the  works 
or  the  portion  of  the  works  devoted  to  creosoting  and 
the  amount  of  timber  that  is  to  be  treated.  « 

(b)  The  same  pipes  are  used  as  with  the  Burnett 
except,  of  course,  the  main  pipe  to  the  header,  but 
these  pipes  through  which  the  oil  is  passed  must  be 
provided  with  inside  steam  pipes  by  which  the  oil 
shall  be  kept  fluid  by  means  of  live  steam  passing 
through  them. 

(c)  In  addition  to  this  the  retort  must  be   fur- 
nished with  a  system  of  heating  pipes    (steam)   of 
such  heating  surface  as  will  quickly  heat  the  oil  in 
the  retort  to  the  desired  temperature.     This  is  done 
by  manifold  coils  of  iron  pipes.    As  the  oil  must  at 
all  times  be  entirely  fluid,  the  storage  and  the  dump- 
ing tubs  must  also  be  provided  with  ample  heating 
coils. 

The  absorption  is  secured  in  the  same  way  as  with 
the  Wellhouse  or  the  Burnett  process,  first  bv  open- 
ing the  pores  of  the  wood  by  steaming,  followed  by 
the  oil  under  pressure  aided  by  a  much  higher  tem- 
perature on  the  oil. 

UNITS   IN   COMPUTATIONS. 

Sec.  44.  Line  measure  feet,  tenths  and  hun- 
dredths,  to  three  decimals. 

Cubic  measure,  cubic  feet  and  fractions  to  three 
decimals. 

Tub  or  vat  feet  equal  area  of  tub  or  vat  x  i  foot 
(vert). 

Weights,  Ibs.  Avoirdupois  to  one  to  three  deci- 
mals. 

Gallons  U.  S.  equal  231  cubic  ins.,  not  used  as 
being  less  convenient  than  cubic  feet. 

90 


Weight  of  water  at  60  deg.  Fahr.  equal  62.4  Ibs. 
per  cubic  foot,  or  .5775  per  oz.  Av.  (Sea  water  said 
to  be  64.1.) 

Pressure,  steam  and  cold  water  is  counted  as  per 
square  inch  in  Ibs.  Av. 

Temperature,   Fahrenheit  Thermometer   (always). 

Weight  of  concentrated  sol.  znc!2.  See  table  (B) 
Empiric. 

Per  cents  should  be  carried  to  three  decimals. 

Means  by  weisrht  except  where  otherwise  speci- 
fied. 

LAGGING  THE  RETORT. 

The  practice  in  regard  to  providing  nonradiating  cover- 
ing for  the  retort  is  quite  varied.  There  is  no  doubt  that  an 
economy  of  fuel  results,  but,  on  the  other  hand,  experienced 
operators  claim  that  there  is  a  loss  of  time  and  more  diffi- 
culty in  securing  a  perfect  vacuum,  owing  to  the  slow  cool- 
ing of  the  retort  after  the  steam  is  discharged.  If  the  retort 
room  is  closed,  the  temperature  gets  very  high  so  that  the 
radiation  is  not  very  great  after  the  heat  in  the  retort  gains 
the  maximum  and  when  steam  is  drawn,  and  by  the  same 
line  of  reasoning  the  retort  room  should  be  opened.  This  is 
not  usually  done,  however,  and  the  practicability  of  doing  so 
is  doubted,  as  usually  some  one  of  the  retorts  reach  this  stage 
at  almost  any  hour  of  the  day. 

In  case  of  the  outdoor  portable  plant,  the  lagging  seems 
advisable  as  the  radiation  is  necessarily  great.  More  light 
will  be  necessary  to  decide  whether  the  additional  cost  of  the 
lagging  is  justified  in  the  covered  works. 

TEST  OF  STRENGTH. 
ZINC  CHLORIDE  SOLUTION.-POWERS. 

The  apparatus  necessary  consists  of  a  graduated  glass 
burette  and  an  ordinary  coffee  cup.  The  sketch  shows  the 
method  of  making  the  analysis. 

A  is  the  glass  vessel  containing  the  zinc  solution  diluted 
with  distilled  water  containing  a  little  potassium  monochro- 
mate.  B  holds  the  standard  silver  nitrate  which  is  delivered 
into  the  cup  (A)  by  means  of  the  pinch  cock.  As  long  as  there  is 
any  free  zinc  chloride  left  in  A,  the  solution  will  remain  yel- 
low from  the  potassium  chromate,  but  the  moment  it  has  all 
reacted  with  the  silver  nitrate,  one  drop  in  excess  silver  ni- 
trate solution  reacts  with  the  chromate  to  form  a  blood  red 
solution,  so  if  we  take  a  definite  volume  of  zinc  chloride  so- 
lution in  A,  and  have  the  silver  nitrate  in  B  of  the  right 
strength  all  we  have  to  do  is  to  simply  read  off  the  number  of 
c.  c.  of  B  solution  used  and  we  have  the  strength  of  the  zinc 
solution  direct. 

A  correction  has  to  be  applied  in  making  up  the  strength 
of  the  silver  nitrate  solution  because  of  the  presence  of  chlo- 
ride of  sodium  in  the  water  used  From  GBO.  W.  NOTES. 

91 


The  use  of  the  metric  system  will  only  be  noticed 
so  far  as  is  applicable  to  the  graduated  measures 
used  in  testing  laboratory,  the  larger  measures  and 
weights  usual  in  the  metric  system  being  less  con- 
venient for  the  ordinary  computations  of  volume  of 
tanks,  retorts,  volume  of  timber,  etc.,  than  the  cubic 
foot  (U.  S.)  as  the  unit. 

The  plant  of  the  Mexican  Central  Ry.  Co.  is  ar- 
ranged tor  the  metric  system  and  the  following  equiv- 
alents will  be  convenient  for  converting  these  to  cubic 
feet,  pounds,  etc. 

ONE    GRAMME. 

1      gramme  =  15.4322  grains. 

1  "         =  1  c.cm.  of  pure  water  at  39.2  deg  Fahr. 

1000      "         =  2.2046  Ibs.  Av.  (=  1  kilogramme). 

1  "         =      .0022046  Ibs.  and 

1  "         =      .  0352736  oz.  and 

1  «         =15. 4322  grains. 

LINE. 

1  centimeter  =       .393704  inches,  =       .032809  feet. 
1  decimeter  =      3.93704      "        =       .328087      " 
1  meter          =    39.37043      "        =    3.280869     " 

SQUARE. 

1  square  meter  equals  10.763  square  feet. 
CUBIC. 

1  cubic  centimeter  =  .0610254  cubic  inches. 

1000  ••          =1  litre. 

1  cubic  meter          =  35.3105  cubic  feet. 

WEIGHTS. 

1  kilogramme  =    2.2047  Ibs.  avoirdupois. 
1  gramme        =  15.433  grains  (1-7000  Ib.  av.) 

EXPANSION  OF  FLUIDS  BY  HEAT. 
Water  expands  in  volume  : 

Per  degree  Fahr.,  n»MJ  JOT  or  .  0002424  =  1 , 

Creosote  oil,  ruSJJiOT  or  -0004727  =  2. 

Stock chlorideof  zinc, 46^, T<j§Jo5o(j  or  .0003171=  1.3 


IMPLEMENTS     FOR    TESTING     SOLUTION. 

Sec.  45.  One  avoirdupois  scale,  4  Ibs.  down  to 
grains. 

One  graduated  glass  test  tube,  200  c.  cm.  will  do, 
il/2  inch.  dia.  x  12  inch. 

One  1000  c.  cm.  graduated  glass  to  set  on  scale, 
with  counterbal. 

Two  plain  test  tubes,  1^x12  inch. 

Two  dozen  test  tubes,  ^x6  inch,  with  cork  stop- 
pers. 

Two  glass  funnels,  3-inch  dia. 

One  package  filters,  6-inch. 

Two  open  glass  jars,  4-inch  dia.  and  6-inch  high. 

Two  Beaume  hydrometers,  o  to  60  deg. 

Two  Beaume  hydrometers,  o  to  6  degrees,  test  to 
exactly  o  in  pure  water  at  60  deg.  Fahr.  (duplicates 
to  meet  accident). 

One  floating  thermometer,  Fahr.  zero  to  250  deg. 

One  argand  lamp  with  stand. 

Six  four  oz.  glass  beakers. 

Three  porcelain  saucers,  say  4-inch  dia. 

Two  galvanized  iron  pails,  4-inch  dia.  and  12 
inches  deep,  with  wire  bail  to  handle  samples  of 
solution. 

A  half  dozen  or  more  glass  bottles  holding  a  pint 
or  more  and  having  ground  glass  stoppers  will  be 
useful  to  hold  various  reagents  used  for  testing  the 
solutions,  some  of  which  are  noticed  below. 

REAGENTS.  Methyl  Orange,  a  i-iooo  solution 
for  testing  for  free  acid  in  the  chloride  solution. 

Ammonia  for  testing  for  iron. 

Barium  chloride  for  sulphates. 

Alum  and  glue  for  tannin  solution,  etc. 

TO  TEST  STRENGTH  OF  TUB  SOLUTION  OF 

TANNIN. 

(i.)     Prepare  reagent  as  follows: 
Pure  water,  one  liter  (1000  grammes). 
Best    glue,    three    grammes    (50    grains    approxi- 
mately). 

93 


Alum  (sulphate),  one  gramme  (16  grains). 

Heat  to  100°  Fahr.  and  let  stand  24  hours  to  dis- 
solve, then  bottle. 

(2.)  Make  up  a  small  quantity  of  one-half  of  one 
per  cent  tannin  solution  as  follows :  Presupposing 
that  a  sample  quantity  of  known  strength  in  tannic 
acid  is  kept  on  hand,  then  take  12  ounces  pure  water, 
add  to  this  26^4  grains  tannin  extract  (30  grains  is 
close  enough),  warm  and  mix  well,  then  filter  well 
through  two  sheets  of  filter  paper  and  bottle  for 
further  use. 

(3.)  Then  take  a  small  sample  of  the  tub  solution, 
filter  well  as  with  the  testing  solution,  then  take 
from  each  ten  cubic  centimeters  and  put  each  into  a 
test  tube  by  itself  adding  the  same  amount  of  the 
reagent  (No.  i)  to  each,  shake  well  and  cork. 

The  glue  will  combine  with  the  tannin  in  each,  the 
combination  settling  to  the  bottom  so  that  the  rela- 
tive amount  will  be  apparent  to  the  eye  in  two  or 
three  hours.  If  the  tannin  is  all  taken  up,  the  super- 
incumbent water  will  be  nascent  and  clear  of  color ;  if 
not,  and  the  amount  of  glue  is  insufficient,  the  water 
will  be  tinged  red,  and  if  on  the  other  hand  there  is 
more  glue  than  tannin,  the  water  will  be  turbid  and 
of  a  whitish  tinge.  If,  however,  the  tannin  is  any- 
thing near  the  standard  the  above  will  do. 

For  the  following,  we  are  indebted  to  Octave 
Chanute,  C.  E. : 

FOR  TESTING  PURITY  OF  ZINC  CHLORIDE. 

(Zncl2). 

For  Sulphates.  Taking  two  or  three  per  cent 
solution,  add  a  little  barium  chloride.  If  the  result  is 
a  milky  white  precipitate  it  shows  presence  of  sul- 
phates. The  precipitate  is  barium  sulphate. 

For  Free  Acid.  To  a  two  or  three  per  cent  solu- 
tion of  Zncl2,  add  a  few  drops  of  methyl  orange  solu- 
tion (i-iooo  solution),  and  if  the  methyl  orange 
changes  color  it  shows  presence  of  free  acid. 

To  remove  this,  one  of  the  most  objectionable  fea- 
tures and  most  easily  removed,  place  sufficient  zinc 

94 


spelter    (metallic    zinc)    in   the   neutralizing   vat   to 
combine  with  and  take  up  the  free  acid. 

For  the  presence  of  iron,  one  of  the  most  injurious 
of  impurities,  add  ammonia,  and  shake  well.  If 
there  is  a  reddish  brown  flocculent  precipitate,  it  indi- 
cates the  presence  of  iron  and  the  precipitate  is  fer- 
ric hydrated  iron.  The  presence  of  over  one-half  of 
one  per  cent,  should  condemn  the  chloride.  For 
timber  preserving  even  less  than  this  sometimes 
considered  sufficient  to  condemn. 

VISUAL   TESTS   OF   THE    VARIOUS 
CHEMICALS. 

Ordinarily  it  is  difficult  to  obtain  an  operator  who 
is  sufficiently  proficient  in  chemistry  to  test  the  vari- 
ous chemical  agents  in  use  and  at  the  same  time  hav- 
ing the  requisite  experience  in  the  practical  part  of 
the  operation,  and  it  is  here  questioned  whether  it  is 
at  all  necessary. 

With  the  ordinary  intelligent  business  man  visual 
tests  easily  understood  and  quickly  applied  are  the 
most  desirable. 

Some  of  these  are  here  given  and  more  will  be 
developed  by  intelligent  operators  from  time  to  time. 

VISUAL  TEST  OF  DENSITY,  STRENGTH  AND 
PURITY  OF  FUSED  CHLORIDE  OF  ZINC. 

FOR   DENSITY. 

Put  140  cubic  centimeters  of  pure  water  into  a 
200  c.  cm.  tube,  equals  8.3456  cubic  inches,  then  add 
two  ounces  of  the  pure  chloride  fresh  from  the  drum. 
After  the  chloride  is  fully  dissolved  and  the  heat  gen- 
erated in  dissolving  it  has  been  given  off  and  the  so- 
lution reduced  to  the  original  temperature  (60  deg. 
Fahr.),  then  note  the  reading  in  the  glass.  The  in- 
crease will  be  the  volume  of  the  fused  chloride  in 
cubic  centimeters,  from  which  the  density  can  be 
calculated. 

Reading  equals  156  c.  cm.  equals  2.0483  ounces 
per  cubic  inch  or  350  Ibs.  per  cubic  foot. 


STRENGTH. 

If  the  chloride  is  measurably  pure,  the  total  weight 
of  the  140  c.  cm.  water  (4.9339  oz.),  plus  the  two 
ounces  of  fused  chloride  divided  into  the  two  ounces 
chloride  will  give  the  per  cent  of  strength,  the  hydro- 
meter reading  29  per  cent  while  the  figures  will  be 
28  84-100  per  cent. 

PURITY. 

If  the  water  is  pure  and  the  chloride  also,  the  con- 
tents of  the  tube  will  be  clear  as  crystal,  but  usually 
it  is  difficult  to  get  water  entirely  free  from  lime  or 
other  slight  impurities,  which  will  be  shown  in  a 
white  flocculent  deposit  at  the  bottom  of  the  tube. 

If  the  chloride  is  not  pure  this  will  show  itself  by 
letting  the  tube  stand  for  a  number  of  hours,  the  im- 
purities settling  to  the  bottom,  when  the  proportion 
of  impurities  can  be  read  on  the  graduation  tube. 

Some  of  the  zinc  spelter  used  in  the  manufacture 
of  the  chloride,  especially  the  Missouri  zincs,  have  a 
considerable  amount  of  lead  which  produces  a  chlo- 
ride of  lead  of  heavier  specific  gravity,  causing  it  to 
settle  to  the  bottom,  the  line  of  separation  being  clear 
and  distinct.  Some  chlorides  have  been  found  to 
contain  near  10  per  cent  of  this  with  other  like  im- 
purities. Pure  chloride  of  zinc  will  always  remain 
clear  and  pellucid. 

Example:     Using  200  c.  cm.  graduated  cylinder. 

Take  pure  water  5.2861  ozs.  (equal  150  c.  cm.),  add 
4.3250  ozs.  pure  Zncl2  (fused)  for  a  45  per  cent  so- 
lution. Let  it  dissolve  and  remain  in  200  c.  cm.  tube 
and  observe  the  settling. 

4.3250  ozs.  at  8  c.  cm.  per  oz.  equal   34. 6  c.  cm. 
5.2861     «'  150.0  water. 


January  5  all  dissolved  184.6  c.  cm. 

Hyd.  Be.  45  per  cent. 

Impurities  equal  26.5  c.  cm.  divided  by  184.6  c.  cm. 
equal  14  35-100  per  cent. 


96 


TEST  OF  TANNIN  AND  GLUE. 

The  basis  of  such  tests  will  be  a  gallon  of  the 
tannin  (hemlock  extract),  the  strength  in  the  tannic 
acid  being  first  carefully  determined,  say  from  23  to 
28  per  cent  usually,  then  for  a  "suitable  glue." 

Take  12>£  ounces  of  the  pure  water  and  one-half 
ounce  of  the  tannin,  heat  to  180°  Fahr.  and  stir  well. 

Take  the  same  amount  of  water  with  half  ounce  of 
the  dry  glue,  boil  until  glue  is  thoroughly  dissolved, 
requiring  180°  Fahr.  Bottle  both  and  use  before 
cooling.  Then  measure  this  four  per  cent  solution 
into  test  tubes  as  described  below,  and  set  in 
warm  place,  say  from  80°  to  110°  Fahr.,  each  tube 
being  well  shaken.  Set  over  night  and  combination 
will  be  complete,  the  condition  making  it  manifest  in 
which  proportion  it  is  most  complete.  If  the  combi- 
nation is  complete  with  equal  parts,  we  have  the  suit- 
able glue;  on  the  other  hand,  if  most  complete  with  a 
less  amount  of  tannin  and  a  larger  amount  of  glue,  it 
is  deemed  undesirable.  The  value  of  glue  for  the 
purpose  is  in  the  amount  of  gelatine  it  contains.  The 
higher  grades  lose  some  of  the  gelatine  in  refining. 

It  is  probable  that  this  same  method  may  be  found 
practicable  in  determining  the  approximate  strength 
of  tub  solutions  of  either  glue  or  tannin,  as  the  affinity 
between  these  two  chemicals  is  so  strong  that  they 
will  combine  even  when  mixed  with  any  amount  of 
other  impurities. 

To  make  this  test,  take  seven  tubes,  $>  inches  diam- 
eter and  6  inches  long  is  the  most  convenient,  setting 
them  in  a  proper  rack.  With  a  25  c.  cm.  graduated 
cylinder,  measure  into  No.  1  at  the  right  hand  8 
c.  cm.  of  the  glue  solution,  nine  in  the  second,  ten  in 
the  third  and  so  on  to  14  in  the  seventh.  Then  take  of 
the  tannin  solution  14  c.  cm.  for  No.  1,  13  for  No.  2 
and  so  on  reversing  the  quantity  to  that  of  the  glue. 
The  middle  tube  having  equal  quantity  of  each,  the 
tannin  will  combine  and  throw  down  the  glue  leaving 
the  water  quite  clear  as  long  as  the  combination 
is  complete  and  the  amount  of  leatheroid  will  settle 
to  the  bottom  of  the  tube  in  a  quantity  in  proportion 

97 


to  the  amount  of  glue,  gradually  increasing  toward  the 
left  until  the  quantity  of  glue  becomes  too  great  when 
the  glue  or  the  unconsumed  portion  of  it  will  remain 
in  suspension  rendering  the  water  turbid  and  reduc- 
ing the  deposit  of  the  leatheroid. 

TO  DETERMINE  WHEN  THE  TIMBER  IS 
COOKED  THROUGH. 

The  plant  should  be  so  constructed  that  the  con- 
densation during  steaming  can  be  drawn  off  fre- 
quently, say  every  thirty  minutes.  A  small  pipe 
leading  from  the  blow-off  to  the  sewer  can  be  brought 
to  a  sink  in  the  engine  room  so  that  a  small  quantity 
can  be  secured  and  placed  in  a  test  tube  in  a  rack 
placed  in  the  window  where  it  is  easily  observed. 

Usually  the  operator  can  judge  very  closely  when 
the  timber  juices  are  exhausted  and  thus  avoid 
wasteful  continuance  of  the  steaming.  With  most 
timbers  three  and  a  half  hours  is  sufficient. 

TO  DETERMINE  THE   EFFECT  OF   STEAM- 
ING  AND   VACUUM. 

It  will  aid  the  judgment  very  much  by  weighing  a 
car  or  two  in  a  charge  before  introduction,  again 
after  vacuum,  and  again  after  withdrawal  at  the  com- 
pletion of  the  treatment.  Timber  very  dry  on  intro- 
duction will  be  found  slightly  heavier  after  the 
vacuum,  but  very  green  fresh  cut  timber  will  be 
found  lighter,  having  given  off  more  of  its  saps  than 
it  has  absorbed  of  the  moisture  of  the  steam. 


BURNETTIZING,    CREOSOTING    AND 
OTHER  PROCESSES. 

BURNETTIZING. 

We  think  it  worth  while  to  insert  a  paper  written 
by  Harry  Grimshaw  in  1885,  in  full.  His  descrip- 
tion of  the  "  Burnett "  process  is  too  concise  and  com- 
plete; so  free  from  technicalities,  and  couched  in 
terms  easily  understood,  and  his  paper  is  so  complete — 
a  compendium  of  the  state  of  the  timber  preservation 
of  that  time — that  it  is  deemed  worthy  of  reprint 
here.— ED. 

ON  THE  PRESERVATION  OF  TIMBER 
FROM  DECAY. 

BY    HARRY    GRIMSHAW,   F.    C.    S. 

The  perishable  nature  of  wood,  especially  when 
placed  in  situations  where  there  is  an  excess  of  mois- 
ture in  the  surroundings,  has  led  to  many  experiments 
with  a  view  to  discover  a  process  of  treating  timber 
with  salts  or  oils  that  woula  preserve  it  from  decay. 

Dry  rot,  sometimes  called  sap  rot,  the  most  formi- 
dable disease  to  which  timber  is  subject,  is  commonly 
attributed  to  a  combination  of  the  acids  found  in  the 
sap  with  the  oxygen  of  the  air,  which  produces  fer- 
mentation, followed  by  decomposition.  Unseasoned 
timber,  placed  in  damp  situations,  with  partial  ven- 
tilation, will  soon  show  signs  of  dry  rot.  Beams, 

99 


which  presented  the  appearance  of  being  sound  on 
the  outside,  have  been  found  completely  rotten  on  the 
inside.  The  shell  remains  sound  because  it  becomes 
seasoned  and  relieved  from  the  sap. 

Wet  rot  (as  distinguished  from  dry  rot)  is  con- 
sidered to  be  occasioned  by  alternate  exposure  to 
moisture  and  dryness,  beginning  at  the  surface  of  the 
timber  and  working  inward.  Piles  and  other  timber 
placed  in  salt  or  fresh  water  will  show  signs  of  wet 
rot  at  the  water  line  before  it  attacks  other  parts. 
Posts,  set  in  the  ground,  first  begin  to  rot  at  the 
ground  line. 

Among  the  earlier  investigators  on  the  subject  of 
preserving  timber  may  be  mentioned  Johann  Glau- 
ber, the  famous  chemist  of  Carlstadt,  Germany,  who 
in  1657  experimented  with  vegetable  tar  and  pyro- 
ligneous  acid,  the  wood  having  been  first  carbonized 
by  the  action  of  fire,  then  covered  with  a  coating  of 
tar  and  immersed  in  pyroligneous  acid.  Since  this 
period  many  processes  have  been  tried,  but  most 
have  not  survived,  either  through  cost  of  material  or 
difficulties  in  their  application.  Since  then,  up  to 
1846,  no  less  than  forty-seven  (47)  different  processes 
adapted  for  the  preservation  of  wood  are  recorded, 
besides  others  of  more  recent  date.  Of  these  proc- 
esses, many  of  them  would,  no  doubt,  prove  effective, 
provided  they  could  be  carefully  and  economically 
applied.  It  is  a  difficult  problem  to  treat  timber  in 
large  quantities  and  meet  with  reasonable  success. 
The  condition  of  the  timber  that  is  to  be  treated 
should  always  be  considered.  It  should  be  sound.  The 
trees  should  be  cut  during  the  season  when  the  least 
amount  of  sap  is  flowing,  which  in  this  country  is  in 
the  winter,  say  from  November  to  February.  It  should 
not  be  treated  in  a  frozen  state,  and  it  is  advisable  to 
shape  the  timber  to  the  form  in  which  it  is  to  remain 
before  the  treatment  is  applied. 

Seasoning  is  a  very  important  factor.  A  few 
months  of  exposure  to  the  air  and  sun  will  materially 
add  to  the  durability  of  the  wood.  The  process  of 
treatment  must  be  rigidly  and  faithfully  performed. 
The  opportunities  of  gross  frauds  which  cannot 

100 


readily  be  detected,  are  many,  and  the  numerous 
instances  on  record,  where  cheating  has  been  system- 
atically carried  on  at  works  established  for  the  pur- 
pose of  treating  timber,  prove  that  the  safest  course 
for  parties  using  preserved  timber  is  to  do  the  work 
themselves. 

Three  of  the  well-known  processes  for  preserving 
timber  are  the  following,  viz.: 

1.  Creosoting,    Creosote  oil  (so  called)  being  the 
antiseptic. 

2.  Burnettizing,  chloride  of  zinc  being  the  anti- 
septic. 

3.  Kyanizing,  corrosive  sublimate  being  the  anti- 
septic. 

CREOSOTING. 

The  creosoting  process  consists  of  injecting  timber 
with  hot  creosote  oil,  in  a  closed  cylinder,  under  pres- 
sure. It  was  invented  in  1838  by  John  Bethel,  who 
found  that  by  forcing  at  least  seven  pounds  of  creosote 
oil  into  each  cubic  foot  of  timber,  the  process  was 
satisfactory  for  railroad  sleepers  and  other  railway 
work,  but  that  for  marine  work  it  was  better  to  have 
not  less  than  ten  pounds  per  cubic  foot.  In  other 
countries,  experimenters  have  used  from  ten  to  twenty 
pounds  of  creosote  oil  per  cubic  foot,  and  the  esti- 
mated cost  is  from  sixpence  to  a  shilling  per  cubic 
foot,  or  fifty  to  one  hundred  shillings  per  thousand 
feet,  board  measure.  Creosote  oil  (such  as  is  most 
commonly  used  in  this  country  and  abroad  for  the 
treatment  of  wood)  is  distilled  from  coal  tar.  It  is  a 
heavy  oil  which  will  sink  in  water,  and  contains  car- 
bolic acid,  creosote,  and  other  constituents  considered 
effectual  for  the  preservation  of  wood.  Creosoting 
is  far  from  being  a  cheap  process,  and  for  this  reason 
perhaps  more  than  any  other,  it  has  failed  to  be  ex- 
tensively adopted  in  America.  Creosoting  meets 
with  favor  in  England,  and  at  the  present  time  it  is 
the  only  process  that  is  carried  on  with  any  degree  of 
magnitude  and  success. 

101 


BURNETTIZ1NG. 

Burnettizing  was  introduced  by  Sir  William  Bur- 
nett, in  1838.  The  invention  consists  of  destroying 
the  tendency  of  certain  vegetable  and  animal  sub- 
stances to  decay,  by  submitting  them  to  the  action  of 
chloride  of  zinc.  The  degree  of  dilution  recom- 
mended by  Burnett  is  one  part  by  volume  to  fifty 
parts  of  water.  The  method  of  impregnating  the 
wood  under  a  pressure  of  seven  to  eight  atmospheres, 
as  is  done  in  the  creosoting  process,  is  most  com- 
monly used.  The  cost  of  burnettizing  is  less  than 
one-third  of  the  cost  of  creosoting.  There  are  no 
burnettizing  works  of  any  extent  in  America  at  the 
present  time.  Some  of  the  railroads  in  various  parts 
of  the  country  have  experienced  good  results  from 
the  burnettizing  of  ties,  especially  ties  of  soft  wood, 
such  as  pine,  tamarack,  hemlock  and  ceder.  Among 
them  may  be  mentioned  the  Rock  Island  and  Pacific 
Railroad,  the  Lchigh  and  Susquehanna  Railroad,  and 
the  Vermont  Central  Railroad.  The  process  was  in- 
troduced at  Lowell,  in  1850,  and  conducted  faithfully 
for  about  twelve  years, during  which  period  a  very  large 
amount  of  timber  was  burnettized  for  bridges  and 
other  structure  purposes  in  exposed  situations. 

In  Germany,  burnettizing  meets  with  more  favor. 
The  Stuttgart  Technical  Convention  of  1887  expressed 
itself  as  follows  : 

"  As  the  experience  of  those  railroads  that  have 
from  twenty-five  to  twenty-six  years  impregnated  their 
sleepers  with  chloride  of  zinc,  under  pressure,  after 
steaming  and  abstracting  the  sap,  has  been  very  sat- 
isfactory, and  as  this  system  costs  only  one-third  or 
less  compared  with  impregnation  with  creosote  or 
corrosive  sublimate,  many  of  the  railroads  have 
adopted  the  chloride  of  zinc  process." 

Steaming  the  wood  under  a  pressure  of  sixty  to 
seventy  pounds  per  square  inch,  as  done  in  Germany, 
preparatory  to  burnettizing,  no  doubt  adds  to  its 
durability.  Tredgold  considers  that  steamed  timber 
shrinks  less  and  stands  better  than  that  which  is 
naturally  seasoned.  Barlow,  another  good  authority, 

102 


is  of  opinion  that  the  seasoning  goes  on  more  rapidly 
after  the  piece  is  steamed. 

KYANIZING. 

This  process  was  invented  and  introduced  into 
England  in  1832,  by  John  Howard  Kyan.  It  consists 
of  steeping  the  wood  in  a  solution  of  corrosive  subli- 
mate, and  the  degree  of  dilution  is  usually  one  pound 
of  the  salt  to  ninety-nine  pounds  of  water. 

It  is  a  very  slow  process  compared  with  those  in 
which  the  wood  is  impregnated  under  pressure,  and 
requires  about  as  many  days  for  treatment  as  creosot- 
ing  or  burnettizing  would  require  hours. 

The  usual  rule  in  America  is  to  allow  the  timber  to 
steep  in  vats  for  a  length  of  time,  depending  upon  its 
least  thickness,  thus,  if  the  timber  is  ten  by  twelve 
inches  thick,  it  would  remain  in  the  vats  eleven  days; 
if  six  by  nine  inches,  it  would  steep  seven  days. 
Bichloride  of  mercury,  which  is  the  antiseptic  in  this 
process,  contains  muriatic  acid,  which  acts  upon  iron, 
and  it  is  found  impracticable  to  attempt  to  impreg- 
nate the  wood  under  a  pressure  in  iron  cylinders,  as 
can  be  done  when  creosote  oil  or  chloride  of  zinc  is 
used.  Kyanizing  was  introduced  in  Woolwich  by  the 
royal  engineers  in  1836,  but  has  gone  out  of  use  in 
England.  The  great  cost  of  the  material  no  doubt  has 
been  the  chief  cause  of  this,  as  a  material  costing 
3d  6s  per  Ib.  has  small  chance  of  adoption  where 
creosote  is  about  3d.  per  gallon,  and  pure  chloride 
of  zinc  under  2d  per  pound,  although  in  America, 
where  these  two  latter  named  substances  are  not  so 
readily  obtainable,  the  kyanizing  process  of  impreg- 
nation with  bichloride  of  mercury  has  recently  been 
carried  on. 

The  only  rival  therefore  to  creosote  as  a  preserva- 
tive of  timber,  is  the  chloride  of  zinc,  and  now  that 
the  means  of  production  of  the  latter  have  rendered 
it  so  cheap,  it  is  becoming  largely  adopted  on  the 
continent,  and  the  English  railway  companies,  mine 
owners,  and  other  users  of  timber  should,  in  their  own 
interests,  study  the  application  of  this  substance  as 

103 


preservative  from  decay.  At  the  prices  ruling  at  the 
present  time,  the  chloride  of  zinc  process  (originally 
denominated  burnettizing)  is  less  than  one-third  of 
that  of  creosoting,  and  in  view  of  the  fact  that 
creosote  and  other  heavy  oils  are  destined  to  be  more 
largely  used  as  fuel,  the  economy  effected  by  the  use 
of  the  chloride  of  zinc  will  become  greater. 

Railway  companies  especially  would  benefit,  both 
by  the  lower  cost  of  the  process  and  by  the  fact  that 
large  quantities  of  creosote  would  be  released  from 
use  for  timber  preservation,  and  so  be  available  for 
fuel  under  their  locomotive  boilers. 

As  to  the  cost  of  the  process,  it  is  found  that  the 
solution  of  chloride  of  zinc,  of  the  right  strength  for 
preserving  of  timber,  is  of  about  four  per  cent 
Twaddle's  hydrometer,  or  1.02  specific  gravity,  and 
the  price  of  this  to-day  is  about  seven  shillings  per 
ton.  The  price  of  creosote  oil  in  most  places  will  be 
at  least  two  pence  per  gallon,  which  is  equal  to  thirty- 
seven  shillings  per  ton,  or  five  times  that  of  the 
chloride  of  zinc  solution. 

There  can  be  no  question,  therefore,  of  the  initial 
advantage,  i.  e.,  that  of  the  actual  price  of  the  one 
material  over  the  other.  Should  there  be  any  neces- 
sity to  transport  the  material  to  a  distance,  the  ad- 
vantage becomes  more  pronounced.  The  chloride  of 
zinc  is  now  manufactured  in  a  solid  form,  which  \sfifty 
times  as  strong  as  the  solution  used  for  "  burnettiz- 
ing," the  freight  being  thus  reduced  to  one-fiftieth. 
In  case  of  export,  this  is,  of  course,  an  immense  ad- 
vantage, which  is  further  added  to  by  the  fact  that 
chloride  of  zinc  is  absolutely  noninflammable  and  is 
noncorrosive,  and  can  be  packed  in  either  wooden 
casks  or  iron  drums  of  an  inexpensive  description. 

As  to  the  mode  of  application,  exactly  the  same 
plant  as  that  used  for  creosoting  is  adapted  to  the  use 
of  chloride  of  zinc,  and  the  same  "  modus  operandi " 
is  followed  out,  namely,  that  of  injection  under  pres- 
sure in  closed  vessels,  preferably  after  previous  ex- 
haustion of  the  air  from  the  vessels. 

In  cases  where  it  is  not  practicable  to  employ  the 
usual  apparatus  for  creosoting,  and  the  timber  has  to 

104 


be  submitted  to  simple  immersion  in  the  fluid  for  a 
longer  or  shorter  time,  the  chloride  of  zinc  has  a  great 
advantage  over  creosote  oil  on  account  of  its  greater 
fluidity  and  greater  affinity  for  the  soluble  matters  of 
the  wood,  which  causes  it  to  penetrate  more  rapidly 
and  deeply  into  the  pores. 

Where  simple  "soaking"  or  "pickling"  of  the  tim- 
ber is  adopted,  the  vessel  used  may  be  a  tank  of  wood 
or  iron,  or  may  be  of  brick  or  stone  sunk  in  the 
ground.  At  one  establishment  there  are  used  two 
tanks  or  vats  built  in  the  ground  with  bricks.  They 
are  fifty  feet  by  eight  feet  six  inches  and  four  feet 
six  inches  deep.  The  inside  course  is  best  of  blue 
bricks,  set  in  pitch,  or  ordinary  bricks  soaked  in 
melted  pitch.  Such  a  tank  will  last  for  years  without 
repairs,  and  will  hold  from  twelve  to  fifteen  thousand 
feet,  board  measure,  of  timber. 

It  is  a  noticeable  fact  that  in  the  treatment  of 
timber  by  absorption  in  this  way,  if  it  is  immersed 
while  containing  sap,  i.  e.,  in  a  more  or  less  green 
state,  the  chloride  of  zinc  penetrates  more  quickly 
and  farther  than  when  dry,  but  the  amount  of  material 
taken  up  is  not  so  great. 

After  treatment  with  the  chloride  of  zinc,  it  is  the 
practice  of  some  of  the  continental  railway  com- 
panies to  give  an  outside  coat  of  hot  tar  oil,  in  which 
some  pitch  has  been  dissolved. 

The  great  importance  of  an  extremely  cheap  and 
efficient  mode  of  preserving  timber,  is  apparent  when 
it  is  borne  in  mind  that  in  the  form  of  railway 
sleepers  and  similar  objects,  soundness  and  durability 
are  prolonged  to  some  two  to  four  times  that  of 
timber  in  its  natural  state,  and  seeing  that  the  forests 
and  timber  supplies  of  almost  all  countries  are 
rapidly  decreasing  in  extent,  the  question  of  economi- 
cally lengthening  the  period  of  usefulness  of  wood 
used  for  railway,  mining,  and  other  outside  work, 
becomes  one  of  almost  national  importance. 

The  object  of  this  paper  is  chiefly  to  point  out, 
that  in  this  country  it  appears  to  have  been  quite 
overlooked  that  the  admirable  process  discovered  by 
Sir  William  Burnett,  has  now,  through  the  develop- 

105 


ment  of  the  manufacture  of  chloride  of  zinc,  become 
the  most  economical  method  extant,  for  the  preserva- 
tion of  timber  from  decomposition  and  decay. 

For  information  as  to  processes  carried  on  in 
America,  the  writer  is  much  indebted  to  Mr.  James 
Francis,  of  Lowell,  in  a  paper  read  before  the  New 
England  Cotton  Manufacturers  Association. 

PATENTED       PROCESS       OF       TREATING 
TIMBER. 

CREOSOTING. 

The  improved  process  herein  described  of  impreg- 
nating timber  with  preservative  fluids,  consisting  in 
placing  the  timber  in  the  retort  with  vents  left  open 
to  the  air,  then  introducing  creosote  in  sufficient 
quantities  to  submerge  the  timber  in  the  same,  then 
heating  the  timber  and  the  creosote  to  a  tempera- 
ture above  the  boiling  point  of  the  sap  at  ordinary 
atmospheric  pressure  whereby  the  sap  is  expelled 
from  the  timber,  then  closing  the  vents  of  the  retort 
and  by  the  application  of  pressure  forcing  the  creo- 
sote into  the  pores  of  the  timber  to  take  the  place  of 
the  evaporated  sap,  substantially  as  described. 

Covered  by  Letters  Patent  No.  11,515  Dec.  3,  1895, 
issued  to  W.  G.  Curtis  and  John  Isaacs  of  San  Fran- 
cisco, Cal.,  to  whom  application  for  right  to  use 
should  be  made. 

This  notice  of  this  patented  process  is  inserted  by  permis- 
sion of  the  patentees,  the  author  desiring  to  embrace  all  pos- 
sible information  of  interest  relating  to  timber  preservation. 
The  standing  of  these  men— John  D.  Isaacs,  C.  E.,  and  W.  G. 
Curtis,  C.  E.  (deceased),  pioneers  in  the  business,  is  such  as 
to  vouch  for  the  value  of  the  process.  If,  as  it  is  claimed,  the 
steaming  can  be  omitted,  there  is  a  distinct  saving  of  time 
and  a  corresponding  saving  in  cost.  It  must  be  held  in  mind, 
however,  that  timber  differs  so  radically  in  different  parts  of 
even  the  United  States  that  its  value  can  only  be  determined 
by  actual  trial.  The  statement  of  operation  and  of  cost  of 
treating,  both  Burnettizing  and  creosoting,  here  inserted,  is 
furnished  by  John  D.  Isaacs,  C.  E,,  engineer  of  maintenance 

106 


of  way  of  Southern  Pacific  Railway,  and  is  so  complete  and 
well  arranged  that  it  is  thought  proper  to  give  it  place  here. 
The  cost  of  treatment  varies  considerably  with  locality 
This  is  net  cost  to  the  railroad  company  and  does  not  cover 
investment,  interruption  of  operation  or  operators'  profits, 
when  the  business  is  conducted  as  a  commercial  enterprise. 

SOUTHERN  PACIFIC  COMPANY. 

(Pacific  System.) 

STATEMENT    OF    COST    OF    BURNETTIZING    CROSS 
TIES  FOR  THE  YEAR  ENDING  JUNE  30, 1902. 

At  Dietze,  Gal.     (Portable  Plant.) 


Cost  of  Treatment  Per 

oT 

fid 

Sj 

Tie—  Cents. 

|| 

S| 

K 

6 

| 

i 

n 

d 

1^ 

* 

£ 

3 

es  ce 
^rt 

1 

July  

(7x8)      49,052 

.60 

4.58 

1.47 

2.82 

.57 

9.44 

(6x8)        9,775 

August.  . 

(7x8)    113,423 

.60 

3.7» 

.58 

3.09 

.10 

7.54 

(6x8)      16,300 

Sept  

(7x8)      96,096 

.60 

3.72 

..05 

3.23 

.12 

8.11 

(6x8)      11,193 

October.. 

(7x8)      99,302 

.60 

3.85 

.C8 

3.00 

.09 

7.72 

(6x8)      19.412 

Nov  

(7x8)      91,184 

.60 

3.90 

1.29 

3.12 

.09 

8.40 

(7x8)       10,049 

Dec  

(7x8)      42,455 

.60 

4.07 

.41 

3.13 

.67 

8.26 

558,319 

.60 

3.89 

.88 

3.08 

.19 

8.05 

Cost  of  moving  and  setting  up . 


8.30 

491 ,51 2  7x8  inch  ties 
66,807  6x8-inch  ties— ,to  548,780  7x8-inch  ties :  cost  per  ties    8.20 


107 


At  Latham,  Ore .     (Portable  Plant) 


Months, 
1902. 

No.  of  Ties 
Treated. 

a 

O^H 

s£ 
s« 

pN 
<< 

Cost  of  Treatment  Per 
Tie—  NCents. 

3 
o 

S 

1 

fe 

Labor. 

Is 

•Ss 

c«  g 

sfl 

.12 
.16 
.37 
.08 
.70 

3 

i 

7.39 

7.74 
6.66 
5.87 
8.63 

Jan    .... 

(6x8)        8,903 
(7x8)      97,777 
(6x8)      75,397 
(7x8)      21,267 
(6x8)      62,324 
(7x8)      53,490 
(6x8)      49,023 
(7x8)      69,815 
(6x8)      20,540 
(7x8)      38,142 

.60 
.60 
.60 
.60 
.60 

3.73 
3.65 
3.78 
2.69 
4.51 

.84 
.73 
.08 
.69 

2.79 
2.60 
2.43 
2.42 
3.42 
2.63 

Feb  

April.... 
May  
June  — 

496,776 

.60 

3.57 

.51 

.24 

6.95 

Cost  of  moving  and  setting  up. 


7.27 

216,1876x8-inch  ties 
280,591  7x8-inch  ties— to  465,910  7x$-inch  ties .  cost  per  ties    7 . 41 

At  Oakland,  Gal. 


Months, 
1901-1902. 

No.  of  Ties 
Treated. 

8j 

£3 

§° 
IN 
< 

Cost  of  Treatment  Per 
Tie—  Cents. 

d 

Q 

1 

i 
fe 

L23 
1.01 
1.08 
1.11 
.90 
1.02 
1.33 

1.12 

1 

3 

2.30 
2.80 
2.84 
2.46 
?  Sfi 

38' 

11 

1     n 
%*% 

i*£ 

0     " 

<A 

1 

8.51 
7.86 
8.84 
7.97 
6.96 
7.51 
7.71 

Sept.... 
October. 
Feb.  '02 
March. 
April.. 
May  .  .  . 
June.  .  . 

(7x8)      38,454 
(7x8)      69,151 
(7x8)      55,681 
(7x8)      88,860 
(7x8)       18,991 
(7x8)      54,506 
(7x8)      84,304 

.60 
.60 
.60 
.60 
.60 
.60 
.60 

3.77 
3.60 
3.66 
3.79 
3.59 
3.73 
3.22 

".'33' 

1.10 
.47 

.21 
.12 
.16 
.14 
11 

2.65 
2.48 

'  '  .'55' 

.13 
.13 

409,947 

.60 

3.61 

2.67 

.42 

.14 

7.96 

108 


CREOSOTED  TIMBER. 

THE  NORFOLK   CREOSOTING   COMPANY'S    METHOD   OF  PRE- 
SERVING   WOOD    FROM     MOLLUSKS    AND    THE 
ELEMENTS. 

The  preservation  of  timber  by  the  Dead  Oil  of 
Coal  Tar  process,  as  carried  on  by  all  well-equipped 
creosoting  plants,  consists  of  two  distinct  operations 
— the  preparation  of  the  wood,  and  its  impregna- 
tion with  the  preservative.  The  preparation  of  the 
wood  necessary  for  the  proper  reception  of  the  pre- 
serving substances  is  the  removal  of  all  those  por- 
tions of  the  tissue  which  are  subject  to  fermentative 
action.  This  consists  of  the  extraction  of  the  liq- 
uids and  semi-liquids  occupying  the  interfibrous 
spaces,  and  constituting  the  very  immature  portions 
of  the  wood,  without  softening  the  cement  binding 
of  the  febrillse,  or  bundles  of  cellulose  tissue,  form- 
ing the  solid  or  fully  matured  part.  Upon  the  suc- 
cessful accomplishment  of  this  entirely  depends  the 
value  of  artificially  preserved  wood  for  structural 
purposes.  If  this  step  of  the  operation  is  conducted 
at  too  low  a  temperature,  or  for  too  short  a  time,  the 
sap  or  liquid  part  nearest  the  surface  will  only  be 
extracted,  the  consequence  of  which  will  be  an  in- 
sufficient space  for  receiving  the  preservative.  If,  on 
the  other  hand,  the  operation  is  carried  on  at  too 
high  a  temperature,  or  for  too  long  a  time,  the  resi- 
nous portion  of  the  bundles  of  fibrillse  will  be  soft- 
ened and  the  wood  lose  its  elasticity  in  just  the  pro- 
portion that  the  coherence  of  the  fibrillse  is  less- 
ened. The  temperature  should  never  be  less  than 
100°  C.  or  exceeding  130°  C.  Of  the  two  possible 
methods  for  the  removal  of  the  undesirable  portions 
of  the  timber,  exposure  to  currents  of  dry  air,  and 
steaming  under  pressure  with  an  after  drying  in  a 
vacuum,  the  latter  is  now  the  universal  practice. 
While  the  first  named  plan  may  seem  the  more  ra- 
tional, and  the  one  least  likely  to  modify  injuriously 

109 


the  physical  structure,  such  is  not  the  case.  Under 
proper  manipulation,  a  more  thorough  desiccation, 
without  harmful  change  of  the  organic  structure, 
can  be  accomplished  in  twelve  hours  less  by  the  lat- 
ter process,  than  is  ever  possible  with  air  drying 
which,  under  the  most  favorable  circumstances,  is  a 
long-drawn-out  operation,  and  cannot  do  more  than 
extract  the  water  from  that  portion  of  the  sap  which 
has  not  yet  reached  the  semi-solid  stage,  thus  leav- 
ing in  the  tissues  of  the  wood  a  very  considerable 
amount  of  resinous  matter  which  occupies  space  that 
should  be  ready  to  receive  the  creosote  oil.  The  con- 
sequence of  this  is  a  failure  of  the  oil  to  reach  many 
of  the  interfibrous  passages,  which  are  either  left 
empty  or  are  filled  with  the  gelatinous  part  of  the 
half-matured  growth  cells  in  which  are  to  be  found 
the  conditions  that  make  putrefaction  possible.  In 
order  to  remove  the  sap  from  wood,  it  is  first  nec- 
essary to  vaporize  it  and  then  to  bring  about  such 
external  circumstances  which  shall  allow  outflow  of 
all  gaseous  matter  from  the  interior  of  the  wood. 
In  order  to  vaporize  the  sap  it  is  necessary  to  break 
down  the  walls  of  the  cells  containing  the  liquid  and 
semi-liquid  substances.  This  is  readily  accomplished 
through  the  agency  of  heat  applied  through  the  me- 
dium of  a  moist  steam  bath,  at  such  a  pressure  as 
to  keep  the  temperature  of  the  wood,  and  its  sur- 
rounding atmosphere,  somewhat  above  the  boiling 
point  of  the  sap.  The  maintenance  of  this  condi- 
tion for  a  few  hours  is  found  to  be  quite  sufficient  to 
break  down  the  sap-cell  tissue  and  to  vaporize  all 
those  constituents  that  it  is  desirable  to  withdraw. 
This  point  having  been  reached,  the  steam  bath  is 
discontinued,  and  the  temperature  being  maintained 
at,  or  slightly  above,  the  vaporizing  point  of  the  sap, 
the  pressure  of  the  atmosphere  surrounding  the 
wood  within  the  chamber  is  reduced  below  that  of 
the  interior  of  the  wood.  The  result  of  this  condi- 
tion is  an  outflow  of  vapor  and  air,  continuing  until 
equilibrium  is  restored.  This  equilibrium  is  pre- 
vented by  the  use  of  an  exhaust  pump  until  the  ab- 

110 


sence  of  aqueous  vapor  in  the  discharge  from  the 
pump  indicates  the  completion  of  the  operation.  At 
this  stage  of  wood  tissue  is  in  a  state  very  like  that 
of  a  sponge  cleared  of  hot  water;  every  pore  is  gap- 
ing open  and  ready  to  receive  the  oil. 

In  the  practice  of  the  Norfolk  Creosoting  Com- 
pany the  most  carefully  dried  lumber  is  steamed  and 
subjected  to  the  action  of  the  heated  "vacuum"  in 
order  that  there  may  be  had  that  thorough  and  uni- 
form penetration  of  the  preserving  liquid  that  is  es- 
sential to  the  hiehest  efficiency  of  the  product.  The 
timber  having  been  thus  prepared  the  creosote  oil  is 
admitted  to  the  chamber,  which  is  still  kept  under 
the  influence  of  the  vacuum  pump,  at  a  temperature 
somewhat  above  the  boiling  point  of  the  sap,  at  the 
pressure  then  existing  in  the  chamber.  As  the  hot 
oil  envelops  the  wood  and  enters  the  interfibrous 
spaces,  the  aqueous  vapor  yet  remaining  in  the  wood, 
by  reason  of  its  less  specific  gravity,  rises  to  the  top 
of  the  containing  chamber  and  is  withdrawn  by  the 
pump.  By  the  time  that  the  chamber  is  entirely 
filled  with  oil,  all  the  remaining  moisture  has  es- 
caped. The  exhaust  pump  is  stopped  and,  in  order 
to  facilitate  the  absorption  of  the  oil  by  the  wood,  a 
pressure  pump  is  set  to  work  supplying  oil  to  the 
chamber  at  such  pressure  as  may  be  desired.  This 
operation  is  continued  until  the  requisite  amount  of 
oil  has  been  put  into  the  timber.  The  chamber  is 
then  opened  and  the  timber  withdrawn.  The  appa- 
ratus is  then  ready  for  further  use. 

The  successful  conduct  of  the  operation  above 
outlined  exacts  the  most  careful  attention  and  skill- 
ful management,  supplemented  by  adequate  and 
suitable  appliances.  The  wide  divergence  in  the 
characteristics  of  timber;  the  varying  amounts  of 
sap,  due  to  the  lapse  of  time  since,  and  the  season  in 
which  the  tree  was  felled ;  its  possible  subsequent  im- 
mersion in  water  for  a  longer  or  shorter  time;  the 
character  of  the  soil  and  the  conditions  under  which 
the  tree  grew,  whether  in  a  dense  forest  or  a  com- 
paratively open  country,  whether  it  is  of  a  rapid  even 


ill 


growth,  or  a  slow  intermittent  one,  are  all  factors 
contributing  to  a  more  or  less  perfect  product.  To 
the  experienced  operator  these  conditions  indicate, 
in  each  case,  the  proper  course  to  be  pursued.  Fail- 
ure to  observe  and  to  take  them  into  consideration 
is  to  invite  indifferent,  uncertain  and  in  the  end  un- 
satisfactory results.  Of  equal  importance  is  a  proper 
understanding  of  the  circumstances  under  which  the 
finished  product  is  to  be  used.  Timber  for  piers, 
wharves  and  other  structures  in  tropical  waters  de- 
mand processes  and  degrees  of  thoroughness  of 
treatment  that  are  unnecessary  in  the  harbors  of 
more  temperate  climates,  which  are,  in  turn,  more 
exacting  than  land  and  fresh  water  construction. 

The  success  of  the  Dead  Oil  of  Coal  Tar  process 
owes  its  virtue  to  the  presence  of  insoluble  non- 
volatile substances  indifferent  to  the  attacks  of  oxi- 
dation or  putrefaction,  under  the  conditions  to  which 
its  product  is  normally  exposed.  Of  these  substances, 
by  far  the  most  abundant  are  the  Naphthalene  com- 
pounds which  occur  in  commercial  dead  oil 
of  coal  tar  to  the  extent  of  from  thirty  to  sixty 
per  cent  by  weight.  Naphthalene  proper,  the  most 
abundant  of  the  series,  is  in  its  pure  state  a  white 
substance  in  the  form  of  closely  adhering  rhom- 
boidal  crystals.  It  fuses  at  79°  C.  and  vapo- 
rizes at  212-220.  Its  specific  gravity  is  0.9778  at  its 
boiling  point.  It  is  insoluble  in  cold  water ;  spar- 
ingly so  in  hot ;  it  is  slightly  volatile  at  normal  tem- 
peratures. 

SPECIFICATION  FOR  CREOSOTED  TIMBER. 

MATERIALS.— Timber  shall  be  of  the  dimension 
specified,  straight,  free  from  windshakes,  large  or 
loose  or  decayed  knots,  red-heart  or  anything  impair- 
ing its  strength  or  durability,  and  to  be  cut  from 
sound  live  trees,  and  to  be  .  .  . 

OIL. — All  oil  shall  be  the  heavy  or  dead  oil  of 
coal  tar,  containing  not  more  than  i1/*  per  cent  of 
water,  and  not  more  than  5  per  cent  of  tar,  and  not 
more  than  5  per  cent  of  carbolic  acid. 

112 


It  must  not  flash  below  185°  F.  nor  burn  below 
200°  F.  and  it  must  be  fluid  at  118°  F.  It  must  be- 
gin to  distill  at  320°  F.  and  must  yield  between  that 
temperature  and  410°  F.  of  all  substances,  less  than 
20  per  cent  by  volume. 

Between  410  and  470°  F.  the  yield  of  naphthalene 
must  be  not  less  than  40  nor  more  than  60  per  cent 
by  volume.  At  two  degrees  above  its  liquefying 
point  it  must  have  a  specific  gravity  of  maximum 
1.05  and  minimum  1.015. 

PRpCESSES  OF  TREATMENT.— Seasoning: 
This  is  to  be  accomplished  by  subjecting  the  timber 
to  the  action  of  live  steam  for  a  period  of  from 
five  to  seven  hours  at  a  pressure  of  35  to  55  pounds 
per  square  inch,  the  temperature  not  at  any  time  ex- 
ceeding 275°  F.  unless  the  timber  be  water-soaked, 
in  which  case  it  may  reach  285°  F.  for  the  first  half 
of  the  period.  At  the  expiration  of  the  steaming 
the  chamber  shall  be  entirely  emptied  of  sap  and 
water  by  drawing  off  at  the  bottom.  As  soon  as  the 
chamber  is  cleared  of  all  sap  and  water  a  vacuum  of 
not  less  than  20  inches  shall  be  set  up  and  maintained 
in  the  chamber,  for  a  period  of  from  five  to  eight 
hours,  or  until  the  discharge  from  the  vacuum  pump 
has  no  odor  or  taste,  the  temperature  in  the  cham- 
ber being  maintained  at  between  100  and  130°  F.  The 
chamber  being  again  emptied  of  all  sap  and  water 
the  oil  is  to  be  admitted,  the  vacuum  pump  being 
worked  at  its  full  speed  until  the  chamber  is  filled 
with  oil.  As  soon  thereafter  as  is  practicable  such 
a  pressure  shall  be  set  up  as  shall  cause  the  entire 
charge  of  timber  to  absorb  .  .  .  pounds  of  oil 
within  .  .  .  per  cent  more  or  less  (at  a  mini- 
mum penetration  of  i^  inches  in  round  timber  for 
a  treatment  of  12  pounds  of  oil  per  cubic  feet,  con- 
stituting a  basis  for  determining  the  penetration  due 
to  a  treatment  of  any  specific  Quantity  of  oil)  .  .  . 
inches  from  all  exposed  surfaces.  The  depth  of  the 
penetration  being  ascertained  by  boring  the  treated 
piece  with  an  auger,  making  a  hole  not  more  than 
§4  inch  in  diameter,  such  pieces  as  are  found  not  to 

113 


have  the  required  penetration  being  returned  to  the 
chamber  with  a  subseouent  charge  for  further  treat- 
ment. 

INSPECTION.— Inspection  shall  be  made  as  the 
work  progresses,  and  at  as  early  a  date  as  is  prac- 
ticable, in  order  that  there  may  be  a  minimum  loss 
of  time  and  materials  due  to  rejections. 

The  inspector,  or  other  authorized  agent  of  the 
purchaser,  shall  have  reasonable  notice  of  the  inten- 
tion on  the  part  of  the  contractor  to  begin  the  treat- 
ment of  a  charge  of  timber,  and  he  shall  have  at  all 
times  during  the  treatment  of  the  timber  under  his 
charge  access  to  the  works,  and  all  reasonable  and 
necessary  facilities  for  ascertaining  that  all  the  re- 
quirements of  this  specification  are  complied  with. 
Such  "reasonable  facilities"  providing  opportunity, 
at  the  proper  time,  for  measuring  all  timber,  treat- 
ment-chambers, oil-tanks,  etc.,  and  for  taking  sam- 
ples of  the  oil  being  used,  for  analysis,  as  often  as 
he  may  deem  necessary. 

NOTE. — All  cut  ends,  mortises,  tenons,  and  other 
incisions  of  the  original  surface  of  creosoted  timber 
should  be  protected  by  not  less  than  four  coats  of 
creosote  oil,  applied  boiling  hot  with  a  brush  or  mop. 
In  the  case  of  mooring  piles,  fender  piles,  and  other 
timber  having  the  cut  end  exposed  to  the  weather, 
the  portions  so  exposed  should  have,  in  addition  to 
the  creosote  oil,  a  heavy  final  coat  of  a  paste  made 
of  equal  parts  of  unslaked  lime  and  creosote  oil, 
applied  hot. 

NOTES  ON  CREOSOTING. 
SOUTHERN  PACIFIC  PROGRAMME. 

Naphthalene,  requires  170  deg.  Fahr.  to  liquefy. 
Spec.  Grav.  at  60  deg. — 1.050  Be. 

Programme. 

(1)  Vacuum  24    inches   ten  minutes. 

(2)  Steam  to  temp.  125  deg.  Fahr.,  15  to  20  min- 
utes. 

114 


115 


ft 


fi 

X 

3| 

I 

o 


I 


116 


117 


I 


T 
s 


118 


BE 

UL 


•'•""'^•^^  I 

~'ff~£Zr*~r/3 


FIG.  53— UNLOADING  TANK  FOB  CREOSOTE 


119 


g 

E 


I 

SPECIAL     CftOSS     FOR    IMS  IDE     PIPES 
SCALE    I"  TO  T 


120 


(3)  Vacuum,  15  to  20  minutes. 

(4)  Live  steam  at  30  Ibs.,  40  minutes,  and  kept  up 
five  (5)  hours,  temp,  not  above  250  deg.  Fahr. 

(5)  Blow  off  steam,  40  minutes. 

(6)  Third  vacuum  to  24  to  26    inches  for  90  min- 
utes. 

(7)  Introduce  creosote  oil  at  170  deg.  Fahr.  and 
hold  at  loo  Ibs.  two  hours. 

(8)  Then     force    back    and    withdraw    charge. 
Charge   requiring   about   n   hours   to  complete,   in- 
cluding introduction  and  removal  of  charge. 

Notes. — The  Great  Northern  Railway  of  Ireland 
requires  temperature  of  oil  to  be  120  deg.  Fahr.  and 
to  be  held  under  pressure  of  100  Ibs.  for  three  hours. 

RECORD  OF  CREOSOTING  SOUTHERN 
PACIFIC  RY. 

The  table  given  on  the  following  page  is  compiled 
by  John  D.  Isaacs,  C.  E.  Engineer  of  Maintenance  of 
Way  of  the  Southern  Pacific  Railway.  The  table  is 
a  volume  in  itself  in  the  way  of  valuable  and  author- 
itative information.  The  absorption  of  1.15  gallons 
to  1.18  gallons  is  equal  to  about  ten  pounds  to  the 
cubic  foot  and  $15.96  to  $17.38  per  M.  B.  M.  is  about  19 
to  20  cents  per  cubic  foot.  Taking  the  mean,  20  cents, 
a  6"x8"  8-foot  tie  would  cost  53.4  cents  and  an  aver- 
age tie  of  3.2  cubic  feet,  64  cents  each. 


121 


STATEMENT    SHOWING  COST  OF  CREOSOTING  MA- 
TERIAL AT  THE  SOUTHERN    PACIFIC  Com- 
PANY  WOOD  PRESERVING  WORKS 
FOR  THE  YEAR  ENDING 

JUNE  30,  1902. 
At  Oakland.  Gal. 


«e<j 

§2 
Eg 

Ft.  B.  M. 
Treated. 

flo   . 

O*g  02 

leg 

03  <D+J 

&* 

Cost  of  Treatment  per  1,000  Ft. 
B.  M.—  In  Dollars. 

§ 

<u 

S 

Labor. 

1  Mainte- 
nance. 

Oil  waste 
and 
Water. 

Total. 

July  

829,128 

1.15 

13.45 

.75 

1.62 

.05 

15.97 

August.  . 

392,580 

1.12 

12.34 

.08 

1.67 

.66 

.03 

15.68 

Sept  .... 

112,236 

1.15 

12.68 

.78 

2.10 

.28 

.06 

19.88 

October.. 

Not  in 

operati 

on 

Nov  
Dec 

545,160 
912,792 
839,964 

1.15 
1.13 
1.15 

12.56 
12.27 
2'47 

.71 
.73 

.72 

1.68 
1.43 
1.37 

1.42 
.24 

.69 

.05 
.04 
.05 

16.43 
14.71 
15.30 

Jan.  1902 

Feby  

Not  in 

operati 

on 

March... 

Not  in 

operati 

on 

April.... 

478,476 

1.15 

12.45 

.87 

1.94 

1.91 

.08 

17.25 

May  

98,760 

1.15 

13.19 

.65 

1.23 

5.17 

.12 

29.36 

June  

Not   in 

operati 

on 

Total.... 

4210,116 

1.15 

12.63 

.77 

1.60 

.91 

.05 

15.96 

At  Latha 

m,  Ore. 

June,  '02. 

208,613 

1.18 

12.83 

.61 

3.90 

.01 

.02 

17.38 

122 


RUTGER  PROCESS. 
ZINC  CREOSOTE  PROCESS. 

Impregnation  with  Chloride  of  Zinc  solution  with  an 
Admixture  of  Tar  Oil  Containing  Carbolic  Acid, 
According  to  a  Process  Invented  and  Introduced  by 
Julius  Rutgers. 

The  process  consists  of  three  operations: 

1.  Steaming  the  timber. 

2.  Producing  a  vacuum  and  admitting  the  pre- 
serving fluid. 

3.  The  application  of  the  pressure  pump. 

The  impregnation  is  to  be  carried  on  by  exactly 
the  same  process  as  prescribed  for  the  chloride  of 
zinc  solution  alone,  in  the  preceding  part  A  of  this 
specification.  The  same  conditions  will  obtain  con- 
cerning the  composition  of  the  chloride  of  zinc  solu- 
tion and  guarantee  for  the  absorption  of  the  pre- 
serving fluid.  While  the  chloride  of  zinc  solution  is 
being  heated,  an  amount  of  2  kg.  of  tar  oil  shall  be 
added  to  the  solution  for  each  tie  of  a  length  of  2.50 
m.  and  over,  or  20  kg.  tar  oil  for  each  cubic  meter 
of  timber. 

The  mixing  of  tar  oil  with  chloride  of  zinc  solu- 
tion shall  be  done  by  means  of  an  efficient  me- 
chanical device,  and  a  jet  of  steam  and  air. 

COMPOSITION   OF   THE   TAR   OIL   TO    BE 
USED. 

The  tar  oil  must  contain  not  more  than  one  per 
cent  of  oils  that  boil  below  125  deg.  C.  (257  deg.  F.). 

The  boiling  point  of  the  tar  oil  as  a  whole  must 
lie  between  150  deg.  and  400  deg.  Celsius  (302  and 
752  deg.  F.)  and  not  more  than  25  per  cent  must 
become  volatile  below  235  deg.  Celsius  (455  deg.  F.). 

At  least  20  to  25  per  cent  of  its  constituents  must 
be  acids  dissolving  in  caustic  soda  lye  of  1.15  spec, 
grav.  (oils  of  the  creosote  or  carbolic  acid  type). 

123 


At  15  deg.  Celsius  (59  deg.  F.)  the  tar  oil  must  be 
completely  fluid  and  must  be  free  as  possible  from 
naphthalene,  so  that  when  distilled  in  glass  vessels, 
in  groups  of  50  degrees  each  (fractional  distillation), 
it  should  give  off  not  more  than  5  per  cent  of  naph- 
thalene. The  specific  gravity  of  the  tar  oil  at  15  deg. 
Celsius  (59  deg.  F.)  must  lie  between  1.020  and 
1-055. 

0.  Chanute,  M.  W.  S.  E.    March  21,  1900. 

"CREOSOTING"  BY  JULIUS  RUTGERS. 

Impregnation  with  Heated  Dead   Oil  of  Tar   Con- 
taining   Carbolic    Acid,    According    to   a    Process 
Invented  and  Introduced  by  Julius  Rutgers. 
The  treatment  consists  of  two  parts*: 

1.  The  drying  of  the  timber — i.  e.,  withdrawing 
the  moisture  from  the  wood  by  means  of  heated  oil 
of  tar  and  the  action  of  an  air  pump. 

2.  Pressing  the  oil  of  tar  into  the  wood  by  means 
of  a  pressure  pump. 

I.    DRYING  THE  TIMBER. 

The  timber  to  be  impregnated  is  introduced  into 
the  impregnating  cylinder  which  is  then  hermetically 
sealed.  A  vacuum  of  60  cm.  (23.6  in.)  of  mercury 
is  then  produced  and  kept  up  for  10  minutes.  The 
oil  of  tar,  previously  heated,  is  then  introduced  into 
the  cylinder,  to  such  a  height  that  it  cannot  be 
"sucked  over"  by  the  air  pump,  the  vacuum  being 
continuously  maintained. 

The  admission  of  the  heated  oil  of  tar  is  com- 
pleted t  at  a  single  operation  or  with  interruptions, 
according  to  the  dryness  of  the  timber. 

During  or  subsequent  to  the  filling,  the  oil  of  tar 
in  the  cylinder  is  heated  to  a  temperature  of  not  less 
than  105  deg.  C.  (221  deg.  F.)  and  not  more  than 
115  deg.  C.  (239  deg.  F.)  by  means  of  steam,  using 
a  coil  lying  in  the  lower  part  of  the  impregnating 
cylinder,  or  a  tubular  boiler  placed  underneath.  This 
heating  should  occupy  a  period  of  at  least  three 

124 


hours.  After  the  required  temperature  is  reached 
in  the  cylinder  it  must  be  kept  up  for  a  further 
period  of  60  minutes,  either  with  or  without  a 
vacuum,  according  as  it  may  be  necessary  in  order 
to  ensure  the  absorption  of  the  specified  amount  of 
oil  of  tar. 

As  soon  as  the  filling  of  the  impregnating  cylinder 
with  heated  oil  of  tar  begins,  it  must  be  connected 
with  the  condenser,  which  serves  to  condense  all 
the  aqueous  vapors  that  escape  from  the  wood  and 
to  conduct  all  the  water  of  condensation  into  a  vessel 
intended  to  receive  it.  This  vessel  is  provided  with 
a  water  gauge  on  which  the  amount  of  water  evap- 
orated may  be  read  off. 

II.    PRESSING  IN  OF  THE  OIL  OF  TAR. 

After  the  drying  of  the  wood — i.  e.,  the  removal  of 
water  from  the  wood  is  completed — the  tank  is 
filled  completely  and  a  pump  is  put  into  operation 
which  will  produce  a  pressure  of  at  least  7  atmos- 
pheres (103  Ibs.  per  sq.  in.).  This  pressure  must  be 
kept  up  at  least  30  minutes  for  pine  or  beech  wood 
and  60  minutes  for  oak,  or  longer  time  if  it  shall 
prove  necessary,  in  order  to  insure  the  absorption 
of  the  specified  quantity  of  oil  of  tar. 

This  completes  the  impregnation  of  the  timber 
and  the  oil  of  tar  is  then  drawn  off. 

COMPOSITION  OF  THE  OIL  OF  TAR. 

The  oil  of  tar  must  be  made  from  mineral  coal  tar 
and  must  contain  not  over  one  per  cent  of  oils  that 
boil  below  125  deg.  C.  (257  deg.  F.).  The  boiling 
point  of  the  oil  of  tar  as  a  whole  must  lie  between 
150  deg.  and  400  deg.  C.  (302  and  752  deg.  F.),  and 
the  larger  part  of  it,  at  least  75  per  cent  of  the  whole, 
must  not  boil  below  235  deg.  C.  (455  deg.  F.). 

At  least  10  oer  cent  of  its  constituents  must  be 
acid  dissolving  in  caustic  soda  lye  of  1.15  sp.  gr. 
(Oils  of  the  creosote  or  carbolic  acid  type.) 

At  15  deg.  C.  (59  deg.  F.)  the  oil  of  tar  must  be 

125 


completely  fluid  and  free  from  fatty  constituents,  so 
that  when  poured  out  on  the  dry  end  surface  of  a 
timber  it  will  soak  into  the  wood  immediately  and 
leave  only  an  oily  residue.  It  must  further  be  free 
as  possible  from  naphthalene  and  at  15  deg.  C.  (59 
deg.  F.)  must  give  off  no  naphthalene. 

It  must  contain  no  oil  of  specific  gravity  less  than 
0.9  (or  at  least  not  over  one  per  cent  of  such  oils), 
while  the  specific  gravity  of  the  tar  oil  itself  at  15 
deg.  C.  (59  deg.  F.)  must  lie  between  1.045  and 

1. 10. 

It  must  also  be  of  such  consistency  that  it  is  re- 
tained in  the  pores  of  the  timber  as  much  as  pos- 
sible after  impregnation.  Oils  made  from  bitumi- 
nous substances  may  be  added  to  the  mineral  tar 
oil  to  an  amount  not  exceeding  15  per  cent,  but  the 
mixture  must  possess  the  same  properties  as  are 
specified  above  for  mineral  tar  oil. 

O.  Chanute,  M.  W.  S.  E.    March  21,  1900. 

THE  RUPING   PROCESS. 
EMULSIONS   OF   TAR  OIL. 

Owing  to  the  fact  that  tar  impregnation  is  far  the 
best,  but  that  its  general  use  is  prevented  by  its  high 
price,  trials  have  been  made  with  the  view  of  mak- 
ing the  process  cheaper. 

These  trials  are  based  on  the  undoubtedly  correct 
opinion  that,  considering  the  high  antiseptic  quali- 
ties of  tar,  only  minor  quantities  would  be  sufficient 
to  protect  wood  against  decay  in  all  its  parts  caoable 
of  impregnation. 

The  trials  began  with  the  object  of  introducing 
vaporized  tar  into  the  wood,  but  they  failed  merely 
because  tar  oil  vaporizes  at  from  250  to  300  centi- 
grades  of  heat.  Wood  being  unable  to  stand  such 
a  high  temperature  and  because  the  vapor  con- 
denses on  the  outer  layers  of  the  wood. 

Therefore  the  trials  were  changed  inasmuch  as 
the  tar  was  thinned — i.  e.,  diluted  with  water. 

126 


At  the  same  time  two  methods  have  been  proposed 
in  this  respect. 

According  to  the  first,  the  wood  is  impregnated 
in  a  tar-oil  emulsion  obtained  by  mixing  the  tar-oil 
with  a  watery  solution  of  resinous  soap.  The  water 
of  the  emulsion  is  later  removed  from  the  wood  by 
drying,  the  other  ingredients  remaining  in  it.  In 
this  emulsion  the  tar  is  distributed  into  innumer- 
able globulets  enclosed  in  soap,  and  by  this  means 
prevented  from  reuniting.  But  the  tar  enclosed  in 
this  manner  is  hardly  able  to  come  in  direct  con- 
tact with  the  walls  of  the  cells  and  therefore  cannot 
produce  its  high  antiseptic  effect. 

According  to  the  other  method  resinous  oil  is 
treated  with  concentrated  sulphuric  acid  and  the 
produce  obtained  in  this  manner  is  used  as  a  dis- 
solving means  for  the  tar-oil,  which  then  can  be 
mixed  with  water.  But  this  is  questionable,  whether 
the  acid  has  not  so  bad  effect  on  the  tar-oil  that  the 
latter  loses  its  quality  as  a  first-class  antiseptic. 

Both  the  processes,  however,  have  a  common 
fault. 

In  thus  impregnating  wood,  water  is  the  only  in- 
gredient of  the  emulsion  that  penetrates  into  all 
parts  capable  of  impregnation,  not  the  tar  itself. 
The  globules  of  tar  can  on  certain  places  only 
penetrate  a  few  centimeters  into  it,  owing  to  the 
filtering  capabilities  of  the  wood. 

How  powerful  the  filtering  qualities  of  wood  are 
can  be  seen  by  the  fact  that  it  is  capable  of  separa- 
ting the  salts  from  salt  solutions,  which  is  all  the 
more  surprising  because  there  does  not  exist  any 
salt  in  concrete  particles,  as  is  the  case  with  emul- 
sions. This  quality  of  wood  has  been  applied  in 
trials  to  make  water  drinkable  by  pressing  it  through 
wood. 

Under  these  circumstances  it  should  be  clear  to 
anybody  that,  as  already  mentioned,  in  impregna- 
ting with  an  emulsion  the  particles  of  tar  are  al- 
ready kept  back  by  the  upper  layers  of  the  wood  and 

127 


that  consequently  only  the  water  can  penetrate  into 
the  interior  of  it. 

THE  PROCESS. 

According  to  the  previous  explanation  a  practical, 
lasting  and  at  the  same  time  cheap  preservation  of 
wood,  especially  of  railway  sleepers,  telegraph  poles 
and  mining  timber,  can  be  effected  neither  by  the 
noted  metallic  salt  impregnation  nor  by  the  above 
mentioned  tar  impregnation.  Knowing  this,  our 
firm  tried  to  solve  the  problem  by  another  way  and 
after  many  attempts  of  the  kind,  our  partner,  M. 
Ruping — owing  to  the  encouragement  of  Geheimer 
Postrat  Christiani — finally  succeeded  in  inventing  a 
method  of  tar  impregnation,  which  is  exempt  from 
the  faults  of  the  other  methods. 

Whilst  by  the  former  methods  of  tar  impregnation 
the  cells,  pores  and  other  cavities  are  entirely  filled 
with  tar,  in  consequence  of  which  it  may  be  called 
full-cell  tar  impregnation,  or  for  ^shortness,  full  cell 
impregnation,  our  process  is  devised  to  do  exactly 
the  reverse. 

The  cells  are  intended  to  remain  more  or  less 
empty,  just  as  is  wanted,  and  only  their  walls  are 
to  be  coated  or  impregnated  with  tar-oil,  a  process 
which  can  be  called  empty  cell  tar  impregnation,  or, 
for  shortness,  empty  cell  impregnation. 

Before  entering  upon  the  explanation  of  this  new 
process  we  ought  to  shortly  mention  the  usual  tar 
impregnation  in  order  to  explain  more  definitely  the 
differences  between  the  two  processes. 

In  the  so-called  full  cell  impregnation  the  wood, 
after  drying  in  the  open  air,  is  put  into  an  iron 
boiler,  which  has  to  be  made  a  vacuum,  so  that 
even  the  air  enclosed  in  the  cells  of  the  wood  be 
removed.  Then  the  tar-oil  is  caused  to  enter  the 
imoregnating  boiler,  and  afterward  the  fluid  is 
kept  under  a  pressure  of  from  5  to  8  atmospheres, 
by  which  means  it  will  be  forced  into  the  cells  of 
the  wood.  Finally  the  pressure  is  taken  away  and 

128 


after  removing  the  unabsorbed  tar  remaining  in  the 
boiler  the  process  of  impregnation  is  finished. 

In  the  new  Ruping  process  the  seasoned  wood  is 
for  some  time  (from  about  a  half  hour  to  an  hour) 
exposed  to  a  pressure  of  5  atmospheres  in  ^the  boiler 
— F — so  that  all  the  cells  must  be  filled  with  air. 

This  is  the  principal  difference  between  the  old 
and  the  new  method:  with  the  former  the  air  was 
removed  from  the  wood  cells  by  vacuum,  whereas  on 
the  contrary  with  the  latter,  the  wood  is  filled  with 
compressed  air. 

Without  reducing  the  pressure  in  the  impregnating 
boiler  F,  the  warmed  impregnating  fluid  is  then 
forced  from  the  tar  reservoir  T  into  the  impregna- 
ting boiler  F  by  means  of  a  somewhat  higher  pres- 
sure, say  of  about  5^  atmospheres.  In  proportion 
to  the  amount  of  tar  entering  the  impregnating 
boiler  F,  air  is  permitted  to  escape  through  the  valve 
V,  in  order  to  make  room  for  the  required  amount 
of  fluid.  At  the  same  time,  however,  it  must  be 
kept  in  mind  only  to  let  such  a  quantity  of  air 
escape  as  cannot  impair  the  consistency  of  the  pres- 
sure of  5  atmospheres. 

When  the  wood  in  the  boiler  F  is  completely  cov- 
ered with  the  fluid,  the  pressure,  according  to  the 
dimensions  and  qualities  of  the  material,  is  to  be 
increased  up  to  15  atmospheres.  Under  this  in- 
creased pressure  the  fluid  will  enter  into  the  cells 
of  the  wood. 

Now,  one  should  believe  that  though  the  violent 
advancing  of  the  fluid  (in  this  case  of  the  tar) 
the  compressed  air  contained  in  the  wood  must  be 
forced  into  the  interior  of  it  and  there  form  a  kind 
of  basin  which  would  render  an  impregnation  of 
this  part  impossible,  but  this,  according  to  trials 
made  on  a  large  scale,  has  proved  not  to  be  true. 
Owing  to  the  high  pressure,  the  tar-oil,  in  conse- 
quence of  the  capalarity  of  the  wood  and  the  ad- 
hesion, moves  along  the  cell  walls  into  the  inmost 
parts  of  the  wood,  soaking  them  entirely,  by  which 
the  compressed  air  contained  in  the  cells  will  be 

129 


more    compressed    and    at    the    same    time    entirely 
enclosed  by  the  advancing  tar. 

When  the  material  is  sufficiently  impregnated,  the 
pressure  is  to  be  reduced  and  the  fluid  is  permitted 
to  go  back  into  the  reservoir  T. 

The  compressed  air  enclosed  in  the  cells  will,  with 
great  energy,  through  its  expansion,  force  as  much 
of  the  impregnating  fluid  out  of  the  wood  as  does 
not  stick  to  the  cell  walls. 

This  is  what  forms  the  principal  effect  in  the 
Ruping  process. 

Accordingly  there  can  remain  no  more  fluid  in 
the  wood  than  is  exactly  necessary  for  impregnating 
or  coating  and  soaking  the  cell  walls,  etc.,  which  is 
the  only  important  object  in  view  in  the  preserva- 
tion of  wood. 

The  oozing  of  the  superfluous  tar  can  be  still 
increased  and  accelerated  by  exposing  the  impreg- 
nated wood  to  the  effects  of  a  vacuum  for  some 
time.  Of  course,  in  each  case  the  pressure  can  be 
fixed  in  such  a  way  that  only  the  quantity  of  fluid, 
which  is  wanted,  remains  in  the  cells  of  the  im- 
pregnated wood. 

Refer  to  "The  Ruping  Process,"  by  Mr.  M.  Ru- 
ping. Patented  in  Germany,  No.  138,933;  patented 
in  England,  No.  6844;  patented  in  U.  S.  A.,  No. 
709,799. 

THE  HASSELMANN  PROCESS. 

COST  OF   CHANGING  BARNETT  PLANT  TO  USE   THE 
SYSTEM. 

First,  and  most  important  in  cost,  will  be  two 
large  bricked  and  plastered  cisterns  to  hold  the  solu- 
tion used.  These  cisterns  should  be  20  feet  in  diam- 
eter in  the  clear  and  8  feet  deep,  with  plank  cover- 
ing about  at  level  of  the  ground.  These  could  be 
placed  outside  the  rear  of  the  building  and  will 
have  to  be  connected  with  the  retort  to  be  used 
for  the  purpose,  by  a  system  of  ample  large  pipe 
by  which  the  solutions  will  be  quickly  conveyed 
back  and  forth. 

130 


131 


A  pump  of  considerable  size  will  be  required  in 
connection  with  these  cisterns  to  discard  the  solu- 
tion for  a  new  lot.  It  can  be  a  light  lift  cheap 
form  of  pump. 

Second — The  steam  provisions  you  have  are  am- 
ple, so  is  the  steam  connections  to  the  retort,  ample; 
but  I  think  it  would  be  well  to  add  another  pipe 
connection,  entering  the  lower  dome  through  the 
3-foot  plugged  tap  and  terminating  in  a  nozzle  en- 
tering the  end  of  an  open  3-foot  pipe  six  or  eiiarht 
feet  long,  securely  fastened  to  the  bottom  sheet  of 
the  retort,  all  to  be  covered  with  strong  netting  to 
prevent  injury  from  moving  the  charges  over  it. 
The  nozzle  need  not  be  over  one  inch  diameter, 
and  its  action  will  be  to  cause  a  strong  current 
lengthwise  of  the  retort  and  at  the  same  time  aid 
in  bringing  the  solution  to  the  boiling  point.  (This, 
I  believe,  would  serve  a  good  purpose  with  the 
chloride  solution  as  well  in  the  zinc-tannin  process, 
preventing  the  chloride  from  settline  while  it  is 
quiescent  under  pressure.) 

For  the  purpose  of  proper  agitation  of  the  solu- 
tion in  the  cistern,  an  air  pipe  should  be  brought 
from  the  compressor  for  this  purpose,  say  il/2 
inches. 

No  pressure  pumps  are  needed,  as  the  pressure  is 
produced  by  the  use  of  live  steam  introduced  di- 
rectly into  the  solution  in  the  retort. 

The  retort  is  charged  with  the  solution  by  means 
of  the  vacuum  and  to  fill  the  retort  sufficiently  the 
vacuum  pump  must  be  kept  running  until  the  filling 
is  quite  complete. 

Third — Two  iron  tanks  are  required  for  mingling 
the  chemicals ;  should  be  10  feet  diameter  and  8  feet 
deep,  set  on  the  ground  and  connected  with  the  cis- 
terns, so  that  their  contents  may  be  quickly  trans- 
ferred. 

Other  minor  items  will  probably  come  up  during 
the  undertaking,  but  they  will  probably  be  trifling 
in  cost. 

The   process,   as   I   understand,   contemplates  two 

132 


distinct  treatments  or  boilings  to  be  separated  by  an 
interval  of  two  to  three  days  that  the  first  applica- 
tion have  time  to  disseminate  through  the  piece; 
consequently  eight  or  ten  runs  of  the  first  can  be 
made,  then  the  other  can  follow.  If  plenty  of  cars 
are  at  hand,  the  charge  can  be  held  on  the  cars, 
otherwise  they  must  be  unloaded  and  reloaded. 

The  first  application  consists  of  the  salts  of  iron 
(presumably  Fe-2),  sulphate  of  aluminum  (pre- 
sumably alum.)  and  sulphate  of  copper  (presumably 
blue  vitriol),  in  the  proportion  of  one  of  the  chem- 
icals to  30  of  water  (presumably  in  weight). 

The  second  application  is  composed  of  calcium 
chloride  (Calc-2)  and  milk  of  lime  (calcium  hy- 
drate), in  the  proportion  of  one  pint  to  50  of  the 
former  and  one  to  40  of  the  latter. 

REPORT   OF   THE  HASSELMANN   SYSTEM 

OF  IMPREGNATION  OF  TIMBER. 

OPERATION. 

First,  the  timber  is  loaded  on  cars  and  put  in  the 
retorts,  same  as  other  systems;  the  retorts  are  then 
closed  and  a  vacuum  is  pumped  for  one  hour  or 
more;  after  which  the  solution  is  turned  in  with  the 
vacuum  still  on.  When  retort  is  very  near  filled 
the  main  valve  is  closed,  and  live  steam  is  turned 
into  the  solution  and  distributed  through  by  a  per- 
forated pipe;  the  solution  is  then  heated  to  245 
degrees  to  260  degrees  Fahr.,  which  will  indicate  a 
gauge  pressure  of  about  35  Ibs.  The  timber  is  then 
held  in  this  boiling  solution  for  a  time  from  two  to 
three  hours,  and  then  the  solution  is  drawn  off;  or, 
as  in  practice,  Mr.  Weinier,  the  man  in  charge,  says 
is  changed  from  one  retort  to  the  other  in  waiting, 
then  the  timber  is  taken  from  retort  and  is  ready 
for  shipment.  The  process  is  very  simple. 

SOLUTION  OF  BATH. 
Is  a  mixture  of  one  and  one-half  per  cent  solu- 

133 


tion  of  sulphate  of  copper,  a  one-half  per  cent  solu- 
tion of  sulphate  of  aluminum,  and  potassium  of  sul- 
phate, in  proportion  accordingly  to  the  condition  of 
the  timber,  which  seems  to  be  one  of  the  secrets  of 
the  system. 

"THE  CREO-RESINATE  PROCESS." 

This  process*  differs  from  the  ordinary  creosoting 
process  in  that  instead  of  using  live  steam  to  ster- 
ilize the  blocks,  which  are  4  by  4  by  8  inches,  dry 
heat  applied  at  a  temperature  of  250  degrees  Fahren- 
heit, and  under  pressure  of  one  hundred  pounds  to 
the  square  inch  is  used.  The  air  pressure  prevents 
the  checking  of  the  block,  and  the  heat  and  pres- 
sure are  held  until  the  center  of  the  blocks  reaches 
212  degrees,  thereby  destroying  all  germ  life  in  the 
timber,  which  is  the  primary  cause  of  decay.  The 
heat  is  then  reduced  to  150  degrees,  after  which  a 
vacuum  of  26  inches  is  created,  under  which  the 
cylinder  is  run  full  of  creo-resinate  mixture,  which 
consists  of  50  per  cent  creosote  oil,  48  per  cent  resin 
and  2  per  cent  formaldehyde.  Pressure  is  then  ap- 
plied by  means  of  force  pumps,  and  the  mixture  is 
forced  into  the  blocks  until  every  pore  is  pene- 
trated and  22  pounds  per  cubic  foot  of  the  mixture 
is  absorbed.  The  blocks  are  then  run  into  another 
cylinder  and  treated  with  a  solution  of  lime  at  a 
temperature  of  212  degrees,  and  under  pressure  of 
150  pounds  to  the  square  inch.  They  are  allowed 
to  cool  off  gradually,  and  are  then  ready  for  mar- 
ket. 

NOTE. — The  author  has  examined  specimens  of 
paving  blocks  treated  by  this  process  and  would  think 
it  a  very  good  process  for  paving  blocks.  No  infor- 
mation as  to  mode  or  cost  of  treating  has  been  ob- 
tained. 


*Controlled  and  used  by  the  United  States  Wood 
Preserving  Company,  New  York. 


134 


THE  VALUE  OF  TREATMENT  OF  TIMBER 

It  is  our  desire  here  to  give  a  conservative  view, 
as  we  in  searching  for  the  truth  can  hardly  afford  to 
deceive  ourselves  or  the  interested  public  and  those 
especially  concerned.  On  the  other  hand,  it  would 
be  equally  foolish  to  depreciate  results  when  we  have 
the  means  to  arrive  at  what  is  demonstrated  as 
probably  near  the  truth;  as  near  as  human  intellect 
can  discern  and  near  enough  to  be  accepted  as  prac- 
tically true. 

What  is  here  advanced  is  the  summing  up  of  ob- 
servations and  study  of  the  subject.  This  investiga- 
tion has  required  many  months  of  close  study,  during 
which  the  closest  and  most  searching  analysis  of  the 
recorded  results  with  the  various  collateral  influences, 
have  been  considered  and  allowed  for.  To  the  manage- 
ment of  the  A.  T.  &  S.  F.  Railway  Company  is  due 
the  highest  degree  of  credit  for  the  careful  and  com- 
prehensive record  that  has  been  kept  and  to  this  in  a 
great  measure  is  due  the  conclusion  now  proposed  to 
be  given.  The  record  here  dealt  with  closes  with  the 
record  of  1902,  none  later  being  available,  seventeen 
years  from  the  start  in  1885,  an  elapse  of  time  suffi- 
cient to  give  something  sufficiently  definite  on  which 
to  base  measurably  reliable  conclusions.  Unfortu- 
nately the  record  of  tie  removals  was  not  taken  up  until 
1897,  twelve  years  after  the  first  ties  were  treated,  so 
that  the  number  of  ties  failing  during  that  interval 
will  necessarily  have  to  be  estimated. 

The  removals  of  ties  treated  in  the  years  subse- 
quent to  1897,  down  to  1900,  however,  will  give  us  an 
approximate  rate  of  removal  in  the  earlier  years  that 
will  guide  somewhat.  By  means  of  this  record  a  close 
approximate  is  made  of  the  percentage  of  the  treated 
ties  removed  each  year.  We  take  it  for  granted  that 
measurably  correct  conclusions  can  be  derived  from 
the  mean  of  a  large  number  of  results  for  the  same 

135 


lapse  of  time,  and  further,  that  causes  acting  as  does 
the  decay  of  timber  under  similar  conditions,  in  various 
periods  during  its  history  will,  if  graphically  recorded, 
form  a  curve.  In  line  with  this  we  have  first  laid 
down  a  line  showing  the  percentage  of  ties  removed 
each  year,  being  the  mean  for  all  the  years  recorded, 
that  portion  not  covered  by  the  record  being  derived 
from  the  mean  of  removals  in  the  early  years  of  those 
subsequently  treated.  The  bottom  line  of  the  table 
shows  the  percentages  so  derived,  and  the  curved  line 
"a"  on  the  diagram  the  same  graphically  disposed. 

We  find,  however,  that  according  to  this  the  ties 
treated  in  1885  should  have  been  exhausted  in  the 
seventeenth  year,  while  it  has  been  found  by  some- 
what extended  inspection  that  many  of  the  1885  ties 
are  still  in  service  and  good  for  many  years  longer. 
There  are  probably  20,000  of  these  ties  in  yet,  cer- 
tainly 15,000,  hence  we  are  obliged  to  reduce  the  esti- 
mated percentages  for  the  earlier  Years  where  we 
have  no  record,  and  apply  it  to  the  1885  ties  alone,  as 
shown  by  the  line  "  b  "  on  the  diagram.  A  careful  and 
extended  inspection  of  the  condition  of  all  the  ties 
so  far  as  extended  shows  that  those  treated  in  the 
earlier  years  are  giving  a  better  record  than  most  of 
the  subsequent  years,  so  far  as  now  determined.  It 
is  not  for  me  to  say  here  what  are  the  reasons,  but  the 
result  as  shown  in  the  present  conditions  of  the  ties  of 
the  various  years  is  patent.  The  1885  ties  and  those 
treated  in  the  three  or  four  years  subsequent  (1886, 
1887  and  1888)  are  almost  identical  in  general  appear- 
ance, with  condition  as  to  soundness  almost  in  the 
same  ratio,  and  can  safely  be  expected  to  give  a  rec- 
ord eventually  about  equal  to  those  of  1885.  They 
are  characterized  by  the  manner  in  which  decay  pro- 
gresses, commencing  at  the  surface  in  contact  with 
the  earth,  and  continuing,  the  fiber  being  destroyed 
regularly  in  succession  as  it  passes  upward,  leaving 
many  of  those  ties  now  fourteen  to  seventeen  years' 
service,  with  almost  half  of  its  timber  sound  enough 
to  make  good  fuel. 

Those  of  subsequent  years  show  that  decay  spreads 
through  the  body  of  the  tie  at  a  much  earlier  period. 

136 


Whether  this  is  due  to  poorer  quality  of  timber,  leav- 
ing the  timber  on  the  ground  without  being  piled  to 
dry,  or  to  improper  or  hasty  treatment,  cannot  now 
be  said.  The  two  former  are  the  most  probable 
causes,  however. 

That  the  results  here  shown  by  these  earlier  treated 
ties  should  be  taken  as  a  sample  of  what  can  be  done 
seems  reasonable.  All  but  a  few  of  these  ties  were 
treated  by  the  "Wellhouse"  or  Zinc-tannin  process, 
and  have  given  a  record  that  should  not  have  been 
lowered  in  subsequent  treatment.  Here  we  have  up  to 
1900  enough  treated  ties  to  lay  1,383  miles  of  track, 
3,812,500  ties  treated,  removals  in  same  time  at  an 
average  of  8  year  or  11,000  year  miles,  equal  to 
961,654  ties,  or  87.4  ties  per  annum  per  mile,  the  mean 
number  of  ties  removed  in  ordinary  practice  being 
from  250  to  300  where  ordinary  run  of  ties  is  used. 

In  this  tabulation  all  ties  removed,  whether  on 
account  of  decay  or  of  breakage  from  derailments  or 
from  premature  removal  in  relaying  rails  or  in  ballast- 
ing are  included.  It  is  well  known  in  practice  that 
many  ties  that  may  still  serve  for  several  years  are, 
after  being  disturbed  by  relaying  rails  or  in  ballast- 
ing, removed  to  give  place  to  new  ties.  The  propor- 
tion of  removals  for  other  causes  than  decay  is 
estimated  at  not  less  than  five  per  cent  and  may  be 
as  high  as  ten  per  cent,  but  as  this  loss  is  common 
in  all  cases,  it  is  deemed  best  not  to  consider  this  in 
connection  with  this  matter,  but  to  include  them  all 
in  this  estimate. 

Right  here  it  will  be  proper  to  survey  the  subject 
of  inspection  with  reference  to  the  "  personal  equa- 
tion," that  effect  that  creates  a  variety  of  impressions 
almost  as  varied  as  the  number  of  observers.  The 
writer  believes  that  the  searcher  must  trust  to  ex- 
tended and  repeated  observation  until  the  mind  has 
absorbed  and  assimilated  every  aspect  of  the  subject 
so  that  instinct  is  trained,  as  it  often  becomes,  in,  for 
instance,  the  recognition  of  the  great  variety  of  tim- 
bers, as  often  occurs  with  experienced  lumbermen,  in 
which  case  he  can  unerringly  name  each  variety 
without  being  able  to  put  this  description  into  words. 

137 


This  is  found  to  be  equally  true  in  recognizing  the 
various  conditions  shown  during  the  years  of  ex- 
posure by  the  ties  in  track.  Verifying  this  is  the 
corroborating  experience  of  others,  who  have  aided 
much  in  this  investigation. 

In  making  the  recent  inspection  of  the  Santa  Fe 
it  was  found  that  Mr.  Daniel  Elliott,  the  roadmaster 
who  had  been  on  his  division  ever  since  a  short  time 
previous  to  the  commencement  of  using  the  treated 
ties,  could  walk  along  the  track  and  almost  invariably 
name  the  year  the  tie  was  treated  without  looking  at 
the  brand  of  the  stamping  hammer.  On  the  other 
hand,  a  large  majority  of  those  that  had  equally  good 
opportunity  to  observe  could  see  little  or  no  difference 
between  one  and  another.  In  one  case  a  section 
foreman  who  confessed  to  have  been  engaged  on  a 
section  for  over  ten  years,  where  treated  ties  were  in 
the  track  from  some  previous  year,  to  the  extent  of 
twenty-five  per  cent,  was  unaware  of  their  presence 
and  could  tell  nothing  as  to  their  value  compared  with 
cedar  ties  along  side  of  them,  which  were  cut  one- 
quarter  of  the  depth  by  the  rail,  while  the  treated  ties 
were  almost  invariably  sound  and  but  little  rail-worn. 
We  thus  can  easily  conceive  how  the  value  of  the 
results  can  be  beclouded  by  lack  of  careful  intelligent 
study. 

In  the  inspection  of  treated  ties  care  has  been 
taken  to  gather  all  the  information  possible  from 
those  treated  by  the  same  process  outside  of  that  on 
the  Atchison,  Topeka  and  Santa  Fe  Railway.  Those 
treated  at  Chicago  by  the  Chicago  Tie  Works  and 
distributed  on  various  portions  of  the  Chicago,  Rock 
Island  and  Pacific,  some  of  which  have  been  in  serv- 
ice for  fifteen  to  seventeen  years,  the  result  seems  to 
be  equally  good  as  those  on  the  Santa  Fe.  The 
methods  used  in  treatment  are  essentially  the  same 
as  those  introduced  at  Las  Vegas  in  1885,  and  it  is  be- 
lieved will  make  just  as  good  a  showing.  Some 
samples  of  treated  hemlock  on  the  C.  R.  I.  &  P.  and 
also  in  the  Rock  Island  and  Peoria  Railroad  with  a 
number  of  samples  from  the  A.  T.  &  S.  F.  were  ex- 
hibited at  the  last  spring  meeting  of  the  American 

138 


Railway  Engineers  and  Maintenance  of  Way  Asso- 
ciation in  which  the  fiber  of  the  timber  was  still  sound 
at  fourteen  to  sixteen  years. 

The  treatment  of  Texas  pine  commenced  in  1897. 
After  six  years  of  exposure,  some  begin  to  show  de- 
cay, but  this  is  mainly  confined  to  the  lowland  short 
leaf  pine  (Loblolly).  A  careful  inspection  of  two 
miles  of  the  Dallas  branch  showed  one  in  sixty  of 
these  ties  to  be  decayed  so  as  to  justify  removal.  The 
roadmaster,  however,  thinks  that  a  much  larger  pro- 
portion are  failing.  It  is,  however,  too  early  to  draw 
anything  like  definite  conclusions  in  this  case.  The 
climatic  conditions  there  are  not  so  favorable  as  in 
New  Mexico  or  Colorado.  Ties  made  from  this  kind 
of  timber  in  Eastern  Texas  have  been  known  to  rot 
so  as  to  be  worthless  in  two  years  and  not  one-  in  a 
thousand  fit  to  put  in  track  in  three  years. 

On  the  same  line  at  six  years,  the  treated  ties 
which  were  cut  from  heart  timber  or  well  matured 
trees  were  very  much  better  than  the  Loblolly  pole 
ties  before  mentioned.  It  will  be  seen  that  a  small 
percentage  of  the  treated  ties  in  New  Mexico  give 
out  in  the  sixth  year  and  scarcely  any  before  that, 
while  from  the  recent  inspection  some  of  the  1885  ties 
will  be  in  service  from  appearance  up  to  nearly 
twenty-four  years. 

The  value  of  the  treatment  by  the  "Wellhouse" 
process  must  be  conceded,  taking  such  records  as 
are  now  available  both  as  to  this  process  and  that  of 
the  Burnett  or  simple  chloride  of  zinc,  to  be  the  best 
probably  in  proportion  of  near  twelve  years  for  the 
former  and  eight  years  for  the  latter,  or  fifty  per  cent 
in  favor  of  the  former.  It  must,  however,  be  remem- 
bered that  the  statistics  are  also  subject  to  the  "human 
(not  personal)  equation"  and  that  it  may  be  years 
before  this  question  can  be  settled,  but,  to  go  back  to 
the  main  question  of  the  economic  value  of  either; 
the  one's  relation  to  the  other,  depending  as  it  does 
somewhat  on  climatic  conditions  may  be  indetermi- 
nate for  the  present. 

Whether  it  is  determined  or  not,  the  reduction  of 
renewals  from  "twenty-five  per  cent  to  five,"  as  once 


stated  by  a  railroad  official  who  has  been  in  a  position 
all  the  time  to  judge  as  well  as  anybody  living,  even 
if  proved  to  be  too  sanguine,  which  it  does  not  appear 
to  be  at  the  present  time,  and  in  view  of  the  foregoing 
figures,  should  go  far  to  settle  the  question  of  economy. 

The  renewals  now  seem  to  be  under  four  per  cent, 
or  about  100  ties  per  mile  per  year.  It  is,  however,  a 
fact  that  the  untreated  mountain  pine  ties  first  laid 
in  New  Mexico,  did  come  out  at  the  ratio  stated 
and  the  tie  question  at  that  time  was  such  as  to  appall 
the  management. 

The  appearance  of  the  treated  timber  is  found  to 
guide  somewhat  as  to  the  condition  as  to  progress  of 
decay  and  may  guide  in  determining  the  reasons  of 
failure,  whether  due  to  failure  to  carry  out  the  proper 
treatment  or  to  other  causes. 

As  before  stated,  the  1885  to  1888  ties  are  char- 
acterized by  a  certain  freedom  from  longitudinal  and 
end  checks,  while  those  of  subsequent  years  have  the 
checking  quite  marked,  giving  the  tie  the  appearance 
of  being  split  into  many  strips.  When  these  ties  are 
taken  out  they  go  into  strips  sure  enough.  Another 
feature  is  the  manner  in  which  the  decay  progresses. 
A  case  in  point  will  illustrate  the  way  that  decay 
progressed  in  the  1885-1888  ties.  A  large  number  of 
these  ties  after  three  years  in  track  in  one  marked 
case,  were  broken  in  two  pieces  by  the  engine  driver 
wheel  flange  in  a  bad  derailment.  Examination 
showed  a  layer  of  decayed  wood  on  the  bottom  and 
up  the  side  as  far  as  the  earth  was  in  contact,  about 
one-quarter  of  an  inch  in  thickness  in  which  the  wood 
was  entirely  decayed,  the  balance  of  the  tie  remain- 
ing entirely  free  from  appearance  of  decay,  not  even 
incipient.  This  applied  to  every  tie,  nearly  a  hundred 
in  number. 

Quite  a  number  of  the  ties  treated  the  same  year, 
1885,  or  the  two  or  three  following  years,  when  re- 
moved in  the  course  of  the  recent  renewals  after  from 
fourteen  to  seventeen  years'  service,  showed  the 
same  method  of  progress  of  decay,  i.  e.,  from  the 
bottom  upward  so  that  about  half  of  the  volume  of 


140 


the  tie  was  gone,  but  the  remaining  upper  half  was 
still  sound  enough  for  good  fuel. 

Ties  treated  in  some  of  the  subsequent  years 
showed  decay  permeating  the  body  of  the  tie  irregu- 
larly and  the  tie  when  removed  would  go  all  to  pieces. 

The  mean  life  is  that  which  represents  the  sum  of 
the  life  of  all  divided  by  the  number,  and  this 
method  is  here  used  and  is  evidently  the  only  prac- 
tical measure. 

Perhaps  the  best  illustration  of  this  manner  of 
progress  of  decay  will  be  the  facts  as  they  occur. 

The  year  in  which  the  ties  are  put  in  the  track  is 
the  starting  point.  The  year  in  which  the  first  ties 
fail  is  another  step,  the  rate  from  there  on  is  the  curve 
of  failure  and  the  year  at  which  the  last  are  removed 
is  the  culmination.  It  is  here  attempted  to  place  a 
close  approximate  value  to  these  various  terms.  If 
every  piece  was  exactly  alike  in  texture,  density  or 
soundness,  all  should  fail  at  once,  but  this  is  never 
so.  It  would  be  very  interesting  to  know  what  the 
curve  representing  the  life  of  the  untreated  timber 
of  various  kinds  really  is.  This  so  far  seems  never 
to  have  been  recorded  so  far  as  we  know,  and  here 
is  a  difficulty  we  encounter  when  comparing  the 
treated  ties  with  the  same  untreated.  The  life  of  the 
Rocky  Mountain  pine  has  been  variously  estimated 
at  from  a  mean  of  from  five  years  down  to  four  or 
even  below,  and  the  fact,  according  to  some  of  those 
best  versed,  is  that  four  and  a  half  years  is  about 
right.  Then  if  the  "  Wellhouse  "  treatment  gives  a 
mean  of  near  twelve  years,  we  have  nearly  trebled 
the  life.  Mr.  Elliott  is  quite  sure  that  this  estimate 
is  a  conservative  one,  and  the  figures  so  far  indicate 
nearer  fourteen  years  than  twelve. 

The  Wellhouse  process,  it  is  claimed,  derives  its 
advantage  over  the  simple  chloride  of  zinc  (Burnett) 
process,  in  this,  that  the  leatheroid  produced  on  the 
surface  and  in  the  end  pores  of  the  wood  by  the  com- 
bination of  the  glue  and  the  tannic  acid  retards  the 
ingress  of  water.  That  it  does  so  seems  to  be  quite 
well  authenticated. 

In  the  simple  process  of  immersing  one  sample 

141 


block  of  wood  after  being  treated  and  a  similar  block 
say  from  the  same  tie  without  treating  will  corrobo- 
rate this,  it  being  found  that  the  untreated  block  will 
at  first  absorb  the  water  the  most  rapidly,  although 
eventually  the  treated  block  will  absorb  the  most. 
The  latter  effect  seems  to  be  due  to  physical  changes 
in  the  wood  during  treatment,  the  solubles  in  the 
timber  having  been  dissolved  and  removed  by  the 
cooking. 

Critics  claim  that  the  deposit  of  the  glue  is  so 
superficial  that  it  cannot  do  much  good.  It  is  true 
that  owing  to  the  viscosity  of  the  glue  it  cannot  pene- 
trate the  wood  to  any  appreciable  depth  on  the  sides, 
but  yet  it  does  penetrate  to  a  considerable  depth  at 
the  ends  by  means  of  the  sap  ducts.  It  is  the  result 
that  justifies  its  use,  however,  after  all,  and  no  spe- 
cious theorizing  can  upset  the  facts. 

The  writer  has  felt  it  a  duty  to  embody  the  result 
of  observation  and  study  of  this  matter  of  timber 
preservation,  using  the  utmost  candor,  giving  facts  as 
they  seem  to  be  well  authenticated. 

Time  and  further  experience  may  show  some  of 
these  conclusions  to  be  fallacious  and  as  regards  the 
figures  given  and  the  resulting  conclusions  and  de- 
ductions may  prove  sanguine  but  what  the  figures  say 
cannot  be  gainsaid  without  future  data  only  to  be 
gained  by  the  lapse  of  time.  For  instance  the  figures 
seem  to  show  that  the  mean  life  of  the  treated  ties 
shown  might  be  twenty  years. 

This  is,  however,  not  conclusive  as  the  next  few 
years  may  necessitate  as  much  greater  renewal  of 
ties  from  causes  such  as  heavier  rolling  stock,  traffic, 
etc.,  or  by  reason  of  larger  renewals  due  to  lax  re 
moval  previous  to  this  time. 

A  great  many  ties  may  be  still  in  track  that  should 
be  out  or  poorer  quality  of  timber  may  only  be  avail- 
able owing  to  the  exhaustion  of  the  supply  of  the  bet- 
ter class  of  timber.  It  is  most  probable  that  the  Santa 
Fe  estimate  of  eleven  to  twelve  years  is  a  near  ap- 
proach to  the  true  life  of  the  pine  tie,  although,  as 
Mr.  Mudge  properly  says,  the  longer  mean  life  of  the 
later  renewals  will  tend  to  increase  the  general 
average. 

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NOTES  AND  EXPLANATIONS. 

(a)  This,  No.  44,  is  a  typical  specimen  of  the  Texas  Loblolly 
Pine.    The  hewn  pole  ties  at  Somerville  and  at  Greenville  are 
largely  of  this  character. 

(b)  No.  55  is  short  leaf  Texas  Pine,  mostly  heart  timber,  but 
haviner  what  is  termed  "red  heart,"  a  condition  in  which  three 
or  four  inches  of  the  timber  encircling  the  heart  of  the  tree 
has  reached  a  dead  and  softening  condition,  in  which  the  spring 
wood  is  wasted  quite  away  and  the  solid  layers  of  the  summer 
wood  much   impaired.     Specifications  should  and  usually  do 
reject  timber  so  affected. 

(c)  No.  66  is  a  three-inch  section  of  a  New  Mexico  Mountain 
Pine,  mostly  heart  timber,  which  was  treated  in  1885,  the  tie  being 
in  track  over  thirteen  years  and  only  removed  on  account  of 
rail  wear.    At  the  time  it  was  immersed,  it  was  seemingly  as 
sound  and  strong  as  the  day  it  was  cut  from  the  tree.    It  was 
treated  by  the  Wellhouse  process. 

(d)  No.  32  is  cut  from  the  middle  of  a  38-foot  pile,  much  the 
same  character  as  No.  44,  Loblolly  Texas  Pine,  in  which  nearly 
thirty  pounds  of  creosote  oil  had  been  injected  per  cubic  foot. 
Although  not  immersed  for  several  months  after  treating,  the 
lighter  portions  of  the  oil  readily  gave  place  to  the  water,  smear- 
ing the  surface  of  the  block  and  floating  on  the  surface  of  the 
water. 

(e)  Nos.  33  and  34  were  blocks  cut  from  chord  pieces  of  the 
Isletta  (Atlantic  and  Pacific  Railway)  some  time  after  the  re- 
moval of  the  bridge,  to  be  replaced  by  a  steel  structure,  after  a 
service  of  over  twelve  years. 

The  specimens  were  cut  from  the  end  of  the  chord  piece  where 
packed. 

This  timber  was  treated  after  framing  and  before  erecting 
and  was  treated  by  the  Wellhouse  process. 

(f)  Nos.  50  and  52  were  untreated  blocks  of  southern  yellow 
pine,    companion    pieces  of  Nos,  51  and    53,  the  latter    being 
treated  by  the  Creo-resin  process  as  paving  blocks.    The  same 
effect  of  the  absorption  of  the  water  as  in  the  case  of  No.  32 
(d)  the  creosote  oil  and  also  the  resins  being  forced  out  during 
the  process.    The  difference  in  the  specific  gravity  is  probably 
the  measure  of  the  percentage  of  creosote  oil  and  resin  injected 
into  the  wood  and  the  difference  in  the  amount  of  moisture  in 
the  blocks  at  the  time  of  immersion  is  a  means  for  guessing  the 
amount  forced  out  by  the  water,  although  not  all,  as  the  surface 
of  the  blocks  were  well  smeared  over  with  the  exuded  resin  to 
such  an  extent  as  to  render  it  mere  guesswork. 

(g)  The  anomaly  of  the  greater  weight  of  the  sap  timber 
over  that  of  heart  timber  in  case  of  Nos.  26  and  27,  is  accounted 
for  by  the  superabundance  of  resins  in  No.  27. 

(h)  Nos.  54  and  55  are  specimen  blocks  of  dead  pine  supposed 
to  have  been  killed  by  a  peculiar  disease  or  insect.  The  timber 
seems  strong  and  sound,  but  largely  discolored,  the  discoloration 
being  greatest  at  the  outside  next  the  bark  and  gradually  de- 
creasing toward  the  heart,  leaving  the  latter  in  some  cases  per- 
fectly sound.  In  transverse  strength  it  seems  to  be  unimpaired 
but  under  compression  lengthwise,  its  strength  is  20  to  30  per 
cent  less  than  live,  sound  timber. 

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150 


ABSORPTIVE  POWERS  OF  TIMBER. 

A  wide  range  of  experience  in  treating  timber  for 
the  purpose  of  preservation  from  decay,  or  at  least 
for  prolongation  of  its  life  by  resistance  of  decay,  has 
taught  that  the  physical  structure  and  condition  of 
the  timber  is  important  in  connection  therewith. 

It  is  in  view  of  this  that  the  investigations  embodied 
in  the  tables  (A)  (B)  and  (C),  are  compiled.  Much 
expense  and  labor  has  attended  this  work,  prolonged 
as  it  has  been  through  several  consecutive  years. 
Much  valuable  assistance  has  been  rendered  by 
various  civil  engineers  and,  as  the  work  will  be  and 
is  now  being  continued,  further  interest  is  invited  for 
which  due  credit  will  be  given.  Without  question, 
much  can  be  learned  in  this  way  that  is  important  to 
the  operator  of  works  now  and  to  be  engaged  in  the 
timber  treating  business,  by  a  careful  study  of  this 
matter.  It  will  aid  the  judgment  of  the  operator  in 
adapting  the  process  to  the  character  of  the  timber 
coming  to  him  and  result  in  an  economy  of  both  time 
and  expense. 

EXPLANATION  OF  METHOD. 

For  the  test  of  absorptive  powers  of  the  timber  by 
immersion,  the  timber  is  procured  cut  to  length  as 
nearly  as  practicable,  four  inches,  so  as  to  present  the 
best  possible  condition  for  the  action  of  the  capilla- 
ries. The  blocks  are  first  dried  to  nominal  dryness, 
that  is,  to  such  degree  of  dryness  that  the  wood  will 
absorb  or  give  off  the  moisture  of  the  atmosphere  suc- 
cessively as  the  air  changes.  When  this  is  not  prac- 
ticable, the  specimen  is  dried  to  this  condition  after 
it  has  gone  through  the  immersion  and  the  moisture 
at  the  initial  time  is  determined  and  added  to  the  ab- 
sorption as  shown  as  the  total  at  thirty  days.  The 
thirty-day  column  is  the  quantities  for  comparison. 
The  samples  are  weighed,  the  initial  weight  being 
noted,  then  immersed  in  pure  Lake  Michigan  water 
and  securely  weighted  down  and  there  kept  continu- 
ously except  during  the  b-ief  time  used  in  weighing 

151 


at  intermediate  times  until  the  thirty  days  have  ex- 
pired. The  volume  of  the  block  is  determined  by 
measurements  and  by  the  further  check  of  weight  in 
water  at  the  close  of  the  test.  The  unit  weight  of 
water  is  taken  for  65  to  70  deg.  Fahr.,  being  the  uni- 
form temperature  of  the  laboratory,  at  .5771  oz.  per 
cu.  inch  or  62.327  Ibs.  per  cu.  foot. 

OBSERVATIONS. 

It  is  not  the  purpose  here  in  the  limited  condition 
of  these  investigations  to  go  into  an  analysis  of  results 
in  an  extended  way,  and  only  such  points  as  bring 
out  the  principles  hinted  at  as  are  most  noticeable  as 
relates  to  their  application  to  the  treatment  of  timber. 

Perhaps  no  way  will  better  illustrate  the  effective- 
ness of  the  modern  plant  than  a  comparison  of  the 
results  attained  with  these  thirty-day  tests  with  the 
ordinary  one  and  a  half  or  two  hours  exposure  of  the 
timber  to  the  impregnating  solution  in  the  retort.  In 
the  one  case  a  block  four  inches  long,  exposing  all 
the  natural  sap  ducts  of  the  timber  directly  to  the 
entrance  of  the  water  in  the  first  case,  whereas  in  the 
latter  case  the  timber  never  less  than  eight  feet  long 
lacks  this  facility  in  a  high  degree,  yet  it  absorbs 
more  in  that  brief  space  of  time,  and  an  amount  in 
volume  at  least  75  per  cent  of  the  total  voids  of  the 
timber.  In  this  connection  it  must  be  remembered 
that  during  the  process  of  steaming  that  a  considera- 
ble amount  of  the  condensed  steam  remains  in  the 
timber  after  the  vacuum  is  drawn  and  before  the  so- 
lution is  introduced,  and  it  is  altogether  probable  that 
this  with  the  solution  absorbed,  fully  occupies  every 
bit  of  the  voids  of  the  timber  so  that  to  put  in  more 
would  be  a  physical  impossibility.  A  comparison  of 
these  results  at  thirty  days  corresponds  very  nearly 
with  the  absorption  obtained  with  the  same  timber  at 
the  various  treating  works  now  in  operation,  and  it  is 
believed  to  be  of  sufficient  value  to  offer  to  those  in- 
terested. 


152 


THE  THREE-MOVEMENT  PROCESS. 

The  Wellhouse  process  as  taught  and  practiced  in 
1885  consisted  of  two  applications,  one  of  the  chloride 
of  zinc  (one  and  one-half  per  cent  strong)  with  the 
gelatine  (one-half  per  cent)  incorporated  with  the 
chloride.  This  was  applied  to  the  timber  in  the  retort 
under  100  pounds  hydraulic  pressure  for  two  and  a 
half  hours.  Following  the  chloride,  the  tannin  solu- 
tion (one-half  of  one  per  cent  strong)  was  applied  un- 
der like  pressure  and  conditions.  No  provisions  were 
made  to  increase  the  temperature  of  these  solutions 
above  what  was  acquired  by  contact  with  the  hot  tim- 
ber in  the  retort. 

Under  these  conditions,  with  a  one  and  one-half 
per  cent  solution,  the  Rocky  Mountain  pine  absorbed 
from  one-quarter  to  one-half  pound  of  pure  chloride 
per  cubic  foot,  the  former  for  sawed  heart  pine  and 
the  latter  for  hewn  pole  ties.  This  practice  was  in- 
troduced by  Wellhouse  and  Mr.  Joseph  P.  Card,  M. 
Am.  Soc.  C.  E.,  at  that  time  associated  with  Mr.  Well- 
house,  at  the  time  that  the  Las  Vegas  Timber  Pre- 
serving Works  were  installed,  and  has  been  followed, 
with  slight  exception,  in  all  the  work  at  those  works. 
The  results  are  perhaps  as  well  determined  and  defi- 
nite as  in  case  of  any  known  process  and  practice 
and  perhaps  the  most  satisfactory  in  results  of  any 
except  the  more  expensive  process  by  creosote  oil. 

To  distinguish  this  practice  from  others  consisting 
mainly  of  a  modification  of  this,  we  will  call  this  the 
"two-movement"  process. 

There  are  several  modifications  suggested  by  sub- 
sequent experience,  among  which  are: 

1st.  Application  of  the  gelatine  in  a  separate  so- 
lution, thus  requiring  another  movement,  hence  the 
designation  "  three-movement." 

2d.  The  application  of  much  higher  temperature 
to  the  various  solutions. 

3d.  The  increase  of  the  strength  of  the  chloride 
solution  used  to  the  end  that  a  greater  quantity  of  the 
chemical  be  injected. 


153 


Practically,  these  three  points  cover  those  of  great- 
est moment  at  this  time,  and  we  will  take  them  up 
in  the  order  given. 

The  grounds  upon  which  the  three-movement 
practice  is  advocated  is  that  with  the  gelatine  added 
to  the  chloride  solution,  the  former  being  of  a  viscous 
nature,  retards  the  ingress  of  the  chloride  and  renders 
it  difficult  to  get  enough  into  the  timber. 

It  is  true  of  the  gelatine  that  it  is  impossible  to  re- 
duce it  to  such  consistency  as  that  it  will  penetrate 
the  solid  parts  of  the  wood.  It  can  never  be  reduced 
to  a  true  solution  so  that  it  will  be  carried  into  the 
wood  by  the  water  in  which  it  is  dissolved,  and  the 
greatest  possible  penetration  is  where  it  follows  the 
more  or  less  open  ducts  of  the  wood,  or  cracks  and 
checks  that  result  in  or  during  the  drying  of  the  tim- 
ber. The  addition  of  chemicals  to  cut  or  render  the 
gelatine  as  fluid  as  possible,  or  the  application  of  a 
high  degree  of  temperature,  are  the  agents  that  will 
induce  the  greatest  penetration.  If  the  gelatine  is 
used  in  simple  solution,  the  heat  is  the  agent  most 
effective,  and  without  the  heat  the  glue  will  spread  on 
the  surface  of  the  timber  like  a  coat  of  grease  or 
paint,  and  very  slightly  penetrating  the  pores  or 
checks  of  the  timber.  It  is  equally  true  that  when 
the  gelatine  is  incorporated  with  the  chloride,  that  the 
latter  helps  to  hold  in  solution.  It  also  follows,  that 
the  large  volume  of  the  chloride  solution  absorbed 
(about  ten  times  that  of  either  that  of  the  gelatine  or 
tannin  when  applied  alone),  that  the  glue  would  be 
more  thoroughly  introduced  in  the  surface  of  the  tim- 
ber than  is  possible  if  applied  separately. 

It  is  claimed  to  be  possible,  too,  that  if  introduced 
incorporated  with  the  chloride,  that  a  portion  of  the 
gelatine  will  penetrate  beyond  where  it  will  be 
reached  by  the  tannic  acid,  and  therefore  it  will  be 
left  in  the  wood  as  a  seed  for  decay  on  account  of  its  ex- 
treme perishable  nature.  When  the  tannic  acid  is  pure 
it  is  as  thin  as  water  and  is  a  solvent  in  the  true  sense, 
and  will  penetrate  as  far  as  the  water  goes.  Then  if 
we  cipher  a  little,  using  every  day  experience  as  to 


164 


the  amount  of  the  tannin  solution  that  must  enter  the 
timber  under  the  100  pounds  pressure,  we  find  that 
the  timber  must  be  penetrated  nearly  one  inch  over 
its  whole  surface;  more  where  pores  and  checks  offer 
free  access  and  less  where  solid  and  compact  wood 
prevents. 

The  fact  that  the  high  results  were  attained  under 
the  process  as  initiated  by  Mr.  Wellhouse  himself, 
and  the  further  fact  that  by  proper  means  applied, 
almost  any  desired  quantity  of  the  chloride  can  be  in- 
jected under  the  two-movement  process,  and  in  less 
time  for  the  whole  treatment  of  a  charge  of  timber, 
would  seem  to  be  a  sufficient  answer. 


NOTE.— Since  the  foregoing  notes  were  written  the 
writer  has  had  some  experiences  with  timbers  of  the 
Pacific  slope.  The  fir  and  the  tamarack,  especially 
the  latter,  is  impregnated  with  difficulty,  the  volume 
of  absorption  being  meager  as  compared  to  the 
western  and  southern  pines,  hence  if  high  amount  of 
chloride  is  desired,  unusual  means  must  be  resorted 
to.  While  it  has  not  yet  been  satisfactorily  proven 
that  the  glue  does  reduce  the  amount  of  absorption 
of  the  chloride,  yet  in  view  of  this  possibility,  the 
separate  application  of  the  glue  may  be  justifiable. 
With  these  exceptions  there  is  not  sufficient  reason  to 
prolong  the  process  for  the  separate  application  of 
the  glue. 

-^  A  careful  test  at  Greenville,  Tex.,  showed  no  ap- 
preciable retardation  of  the  absorption  of  the  chloride 
by  the  presence  of  the  glue  in  the  chloride  solution. 
This  is  true  wherever  the  open  grained  timber  is 
treated,  notably  the  pines  of  Texas,  Colorado  and 
New  and  Old  Mexico. 


155 


INCREASE  OF  STRENGTH  OF  SOLUTION. 

^We  have  seen  that  heart  timber  with  one-quarter 
pound  of  the  chloride  per  cubic  foot  of  timber  when 
in  the  shape  of  a  6  in.  x  8  in.  sawed  tie,  resulted  in  a 
measurably  sound  tie  after  it  had  become  useless 
from  rail  wear.  We  may  therefore  conclude  that  a 
less  amount  would  have  served  equally  well.  Then 
we  find  that  the  pole  tie,  mostly  sap,  having  one-third 
of  a  pound,  has  its  usefulness  prolonged  from  two  to 
three  times  the  life  of  an  untreated  tie  of  the  same 
character. 

Then  why  increase  the  cost  of  the  chloride  fifty 
per  cent  simply  to  make  sure  to  get  in  enough? 

Let  us  examine  the  philosophy  of  the  process.  It 
consists  of  three  essential  parts  or  effects.  First,  the 
steaming,  then  the  impregnation  and  lastly  the  plug- 
ging up  of  the  outer  part  of  the  timber  by  which  the 
antiseptic  introduced  is  protected  from  waste.  The 
first  frees  the  timber  from  those  juices  that  cause  the 
inception  of  decay  and  which  feed  it  after  it  has  com- 
menced, the  second  introduces  the  antiseptic  proper- 
ties which,  while  present  in  the  timber,  effectually 
prevent  decay,  and  the  third  aids  in  retaining  and  pre- 
venting waste  of  the  preserving  properties. 

Not  all,  by  any  means,  depends  upon  the  antiseptic. 
The  steaming  must  be  prolonged  sufficiently  to  allow 
the  heat  to  reach  the  center  of  the  piece,  but  if  this  is 
not  done,  there  will  be  a  section  at  the  center  of  the 
tie  in  which  the  objectionable  juices  of  the  timber  will 
remain  and  which  the  antiseptic,  when  introduced, 
both  by  the  steam  and  by  the  antiseptic  must  be  had, 
otherwise  the  work  is  imperfectly  done.  The  permea- 
tion by  the  steam  is  the  paramount  result  to  be 
secured  and  even  should  the  amount  of  the  antiseptic 
be  reduced  by  oversteaming,  yet,  its  permeation  is 
more  complete  and  a  little  less  well  distributed,  is 
better  than  much  more  confined  to  the  outer  portions 
of  the  piece.  While  a  stronger  solution  may  put  in 


156 


the  desired  pounds,  yet    such  practice  cannot  be 
characterized  except  as  waste. 

Fifty  per  cent  increase  in  the  amount  of  chloride 
can  be  figured  and  amounts  to  a  sum  that  it  is  not 
cared  to  name,  and  if  it  is  unnecessary,  would  not  be 
justified  by  anything  but  "speculative  reasons,"  which 
would  hardly  pass  with  business  men. 

GREATER  AMOUNT  OF  HEAT. 

As  before  stated,  little  attention  was  paid  to  the 
temperature  of  the  two  solutions  then  used.  Later 
investigations  by  experienced  observers  have  strongly 
impressed  the  conviction  that  heat  is  a  very  active 
element,  not  only  in  its  application  to  the  charge  in 
the  shape  of  steam  by  which  the  saps  of  the  wood  are 
dissolved  and  expelled  and  the  timber  prepared  for 
the  free  ingress  of  the  solutions,  but  in  the  shape  of 
increased  temperature  to  the  various  solutions  as  cre- 
ating more  favorable  conditions  for  the  desired  and 
necessary  chemical  actions.  In  using  the  two-move- 
ment process  the  heating  of  the  chloride  solution  is 
important  from  the  fact  that  with  it  is  carried  the  gel- 
atine to  which  high  degree  of  temperature  is  neces- 
sary for  best  results.  Where  the  gelatine  solution  is 
used  simple,  high  temperature  is  absolutely  necessary. 
With  the  two-movement  process  the  temperature  of 
the  chloride  solution  keeps  measurably  high  from 
the  heat  derived  from  the  steamed  timber,  hence  less 
heating  appliances  are  necessary.  The  tannin  solu- 
tion requires  some  heat  to  promote  its  chemical  com- 
bination with  the  gelatine  though  not  so  great  a  degree 
but  its  temperature  should  be  controlled  as  well  as 
that  of  the  others. 

The  improved  heating  coil  for  the  solution  tank 
shown  on  page  25  and  the  retort  coil,  page  118,  en- 
ables the  operator  to  fully  control  the  temperature  so 
that  150°  to  180°  F.  can  be  secured,  and  the  retort  coil 
will  bring  the  creosote  oil  to  the  boiling  point,  at  190° 
to  200°  F. 


157 


DOES  CHEMICAL,  TREATMENT    OF    TIES    INCREASE 

THE  HARDNESS  OP  THE  WOOD  AND  THE 

HOLDING  POWER  OF  THE  SPIKE  ? 


J.  B.  M'NBIL,  B.  M.,  SOUTHERN  CALIFORNIA  R.  R. 

Report  of  a  committee  presented  before  the  19th  annual 

convention  of  the  Roadmasters'  and  Maintenance 

of  Way  Association,  Washington,  D.  C., 

Oct.  8-10, 1901. 

This  paper  refers  only  to  the  zinc-tannin  or  Wellhouse 
process  of  timber  preservation,  and  the  committee  to  whom 
the  subject  has  been  assigned,  has  made  several  tests  with 
the  treated  ties  available,  and  has  received  the  written 
opinions  of  persons  in  different  parts  of  the  country  who 
have  had  experience  in  the  treatment  and  use  of  treated 
timber. 

The  consensus  of  opinion,  supported  by  the  tests  made 
by  your  committee,  is  that  treatment  does  not  increase  the 
hardne^j  of  the  wood,  but  does  increase  its  density  and 
transverse  crushing  strength  in  proportion  to  the  amount  of 
treating  material  absorbed.  But,  while  the  timber  is  not 
hardened  by  the  treatment,  it  is  made  more  flexible  and 
tough,  and  will,  by  reason  of  the  increased  density  of  the 
wood  and  action  of  the  chemicals  used,  prevent  the  rail  from 
cutting  into  the  ties,  in  proportion  to  the  amount  of  preserva- 
tive absorbed,  or  about  30  per  cent  in  coarse  grained  pine. 

Common  mountain  pine,  such  as  is  found  in  New  Mexico 
and  Arizona,  now  largely  used  as  tie  timber  on  western  lines, 
is  an  open  grained,  coarse  wood,  and  absorbs,  when  treated, 
about  30  per  cent  of  the  preservative.  Close  grained,  firm 
timber  absorbs  less  of  the  chemicals  than  does  the  open 
grained  soft  wood,  and  is,  therefore,  proportionately  less 
affected  by  the  treatment. 

We  find  that  the  spikes,  when  driven,  damage  the  fiber 
of  the  timber  less  in  treated  than  in  untreated  timber.  The 
holding  power  of  the  spike  is  not  noticeably  increased  at  the 
time  the  tie  is  treated,  but  increases  as  the  timber  dries  out, 
until  at  the  end  of  from  six  to  nine  months,  when  the  timber 
has  become  seasoned,  a  pine  tie  which  has  absorbed  the 
asual  amount  of  chloride  of  zinc,  tannin  and  glue,  will  have 
increased  the  holding  power  of  the  track  spikes  not  less  than 
SOuer  cent. 

158 


SS§ 


159 


ROLLING  BEARING  FOR  JOURNALS  OF 

TRAM  CARS. 
TIMBER  TREATING  PLANT. 

The  impossibility  of  preserving  any  oil  lubricant  in 
consequence  of  the  high  degree  of  heat  to  which  the 
cars  are  exposed  during  steaming,  suggests  the  appli- 
cation of  the  rolling  bearing.  The  drawing  here  deline- 
ated is  one  of  perhaps  many  plans  for  its  application. 
It  has  the  element  of  simplicity  which  should  prevail 
throughout  the  whole  car. 

With  what  degree  of  success  it  will  cover  the  diffi- 
culty can  only  be  determined  by  trial,  both  as  to  ease 
of  draught  and  of  standing  the  wear.  The  wheels  on 
these  cars  are  necessarily  of  small  diameter,  as  it  is  of 
the  first  importance  that  the  area  of  the  load  be  as 
near  as  possible  to  the  full  area  of  the  retort,  hence 
a  reduction  of  two  inches  can  be  made  without  appre- 
ciably increasing  the  draught,  then  a  corresponding 
gain  is  made  in  increase  of  the  possible  loading. 

The  cars  as  now  made  for  the  72  inch  (dia.)  retort, 
have  wheels  ten  inches  in  diameter  and  two  and  a 
quarter  inch  axle  with  the  ordinary  provisions  for  oil- 
ing, which  are  only  available  after  the  charge  is 
drawn.  The  fact  is  that  if  the  diameters  of  the  wheels 
were  considerably  reduced,  they  would  sled  and  not 
turn  at  all,  and  the  whole  load  would  be  sledded  out. 

When,  as  heretofore,  a  powerful  wince  is  used,  this 
heavy  draught  has  not  been  so  appreciable,  but  now 
that  other  and  perhaps  better  kinds  of  power  are 
being  sought,  it  becomes  necessary  to  meet  it. 

Electricity  and  compressed  air  now  vie  for  a  place 
or  means  of  power  with  probability  in  favor  of  the 
latter  eventually,  both  for  the  yard  wince  and  the 
locomotor  for  distant  yard  service.  The  steam  loco- 
motive being  ruled  out  by  danger  of  sparks  in  a  large 
collection  of  material  in  the  yard,  and  also  for  operat- 
ing the  wince  owing  to  the  difficulty  of  conveying 
steam  so  far.  Electricity  is  well  adapted  to  both  the 
wince  and  the  yard  locomotor.  Equally  well  can  the 
compressed  air  be  applied  to  each  of  these  purposes 

160 


While  the  latter  is  more  prompt  in  responding  and 
better  in  consequence  for  moving  the  charge  to  or 
from  the  retort  than  the  electric  motor,  the  two  in 
common  have  their  limitation  in  the  amount  of  trac- 
tion they  can  command.  For  charging  or  discharg- 
ing, the  wince  is  transcendently  the  best  adapted,  as 
this  should  be  done  with  the  greatest  care  or  otherwise 
serious  damage  may  result  to  the  retort  and  attach- 
ments. The  charge  including  the  tram  cars  will 
weigh  more  than  the  empty  retort,  hence  if  the  engi- 
neer of  the  motor  is  obliged  to  make  a  run  to  get  his 
charge  in,  serious  damage  is  almost  sure  to  result 
first  or  last.  With  the  wince  a  stop  within  a  few 
inches  is  practicable.  It  is  claimed  by  the  manufac- 
turer of  the  air  motor  that  their  locomptors  are  equally 
under  control.  As  regards  the  electric  motor  it  is  not. 
In  any  case,  a  remedy  for  the  heavy  draught  of  the 
tram  train  is  being  called  for  and  must  be  provided. 

The  relative  merits  and  cost  of  installation  of 
these  two  means  of  power  are  as  yet  unsettled  but 
probably  will  be  settled  in  the  near  future,  as  each 
has  its  advocates;  and  really  the  best  method,  and 
about  the  only  one,  will  be  that  of  results  after  trying. 
It  appears,  however,  at  this  time  that  the  compressed 
air  is  both  the  best  adapted  and  the  cheapest  to 
install  and  to  operate. 

The  compressed  air  motor  seems  the  best  in  the 
respect  that  its  installment  can  all  be  placed  in  the 
ground,  its  feeding  points  so  located  as  to  always  be 
in  easy  reach  when  the  motor  needs  to  recharge,  and 
the  motor  is  free  to  go  quickly  to  any  part  of  the  yard 
as  needed,  whereas  the  electric  motor  can  only  oper- 
ate where  the  tracks  are  wired.  For  the  wince,  the 
electric  power  is  an  ideal  one  as  is  also  the  com- 
pressed air.  One  difficulty  in  using  the  compressed 
air  is  that  the  high  power  necessary  to  operate  the 
locomotor  is  unsuited  to  operate  the  wince,  or  so 
at  least  was  apprehended,  but  later  this  has  been 
overcome  by  using  the  compressor  that  is  used  to 
move  the  solutions. 

The  C,  B.  &  Q.  R.  R.,  at  their  works  at  Sheridan, 
Wyoming,  are  now  doing  this  quite  successfully,  thus 

161 


162 


doing  away  with  the  necessity  of  a  special  engine  for 
the  lower  pressure. 


THE  PROPER  PROPORTION  FOR 
THE  RETORT. 

In  the  first  place  the  diameter  of  the  retort  should 
be  such  as  to  receive  the  car  of  the  most  convenient 
dimensions  for  loading  and  unloading.  The  most 
common  diameter  is  that  of  even  six  feet  which 
receives  a  car  the  load  of  which  will  be  near  six  feet 
from  ground  level,  which  is  about  as  high  as  men 
can  load  economically.  The  cars  best  adapted  to  this 
service  must  be  as  light  as  practicable  and  strong, 
above  all,  strong,  and  as  simple  in  construction  as 
possible.  In  proportioning  the  car  all  these  requisites 
must  balance  as  nearly  as  possible. 

Any  effort  to  strengthen  by  increase  of  weight  is 
likely  to  defeat  its  purpose,  as  in  use  these  cars 
receive  much  harsh  handling  that  is  made  still  more 
destructive  from  the  added  weight. 

The  door  for  sealing  the  retort  would  have  to  be 
stronger  in  all  its  parts  if  the  diameter  is  enlarged, 
and  the  door,  if  self  sealing,  is  quite  an  important 
part  of  the  cost,  and  when  adapted  to  one  dimension, 
and  that  the  most  suitable,  any  change  is  to  be 
deprecated. 

Much  has  been  said  in  favor  of  the  bolted  door,  but 
a  little  observation  must  satisfy  the  observer  of  the 
superiority  of  the  "  Spider  Door,"  both  for  economy 
of  time  and  labor. 

A  retort  of  this  diameter  is  amply  strong  to  stand 
the  service,  both  for  the  necessary  pressure  and  for 
its  stability  in  form. 

The  length  can  be  made  to  suit  the  conditions  or 
fancy,  but  should  not  exceed  120  feet  and  may  be 
anything  down  to  40  feet. 


163 


SHOULD  TRAM  CARS  HAVE  COUPLING  ? 

While  recognizing  the  necessity  of  keeping  up  with 
the  times,  the  fact  that  the  tram  cars  have  heretofore 
been  handled  without  difficulty  without  the  coupling 
appliances,  there  seems  to  prevail  an  impression 
abroad  that  the  omission  of  these  appliances  is  a 
grave  one.  Why  ? 

The  only  seeming  result  where  couplings  have 
been  provided,  is  that  their  use  is  neglected  and  a 
lot  of  surplus  chains  are  around  in  the  way.  The 
fact  that  the  cars  with  loads  or  without  can  be  pushed 
ahead  with  any  power,  or  can  be  drawn  by  means  of 
a  suitable  cable,  even  to  the  charging  and  discharging 
of  the  retort,  seems  to  point  to  lack  of  any  necessity 
for  them. 

The  provision  of  light  cables  of  about  the  length  of 
the  retort,  any  train  of  loads  or  of  empties  can  be 
hauled  safely  by  the  motor  over  any  part  of  the  yard. 
The  same  is  true  with  any  lesser  number  of  cars. 

Perhaps  ninety-nine  per  cent  of  the  labor  in  con- 
nection with  the  plant  is  in  handling  the  material, 
including  the  handling  of  the  tram  cars  in  placing  them ; 
dangerous  enough  in  itself  to  hands  and  limbs  and 
the  additional  risk  in  coupling  should  not  be  incurred 
without  better  reasons  than  now  appear.  The  extra 
expense  of  the  couplings  cannot  be  neglected  as  it  is 
considerable,  saying  nothing  of  the  time  required  in 
coupling  a  loaded  train,  which  at  best  is  a  troublesome 
and  a  dangerous  operation.  "  A  word  to  the  wise,  etc." 


THE  TIE  LOADER. 

INTRODUCING  A  LABOR  SAVING  APPLIANCE. 

The  most  severe  labor  connected  with  the  opera- 
tion of  a  timber  preserving  plant  is  the  unloading  of 
the  treated  ties  into  box  cars. 

For  economic  reasons  a  large  part  of  the  output  is 
thus  delivered,  and  the  fact  being  that  these  freshly 
treated  ties  have  from  fifty  to  seventy-five  per  cent  of 

164 


165 


weight  added  to  the  normal  weight,  renders  them 
very  heavy,  requiring  from  two  to  three  men  to  lift 
and  carry  them  into  the  car.  For  two  men  the  labor 
is  so  severe  that  it  requires  an  athlete  to  stand  the 
labor,  and  it  is  very  difficult  to  secure  men  to  do  this 
part  of  the  work.  Much  delay  always  results  from 
this  difficulty  when  organizing  a  force. 

The  illustration  given  on  the  preceding  page  shows 
"The  Angier  Tie  Loader"  (patent  pending),  which  is 
now  ready  to  offer  to  those  desiring  such  an  aid.  It 
is  claimed  that  two  men  will  load  more  ties  into  a  box 
car  than  four  men  can  do  by  hand,  and  that  the  labor 
is  brought  within  the  strength  of  any  ordinary  wcrk- 
ingman, 

TABLES  FOR  CONVENIENCE  IN 

COMPUTATIONS. 

FOR  LABORATORY  WORK. 

Measures.  Cubic  feet,  (1728  cu.  in.).  Cubic  centi- 
meters, (eq.  .0610254  pr.  in.). 

Weights.  (Avoirdupois)  Ibs.  ozs.  fractions  of  oz.  to 
4  dec.  and  grains.  ( 7000  grs.  to  1  Ib.  av.)  Using  ozs. 
as  units  generally. 

For  temperature.    Fahrenheit  thermometer. 

For  liquid  density.  Beaume  hydrometer  (in  gross 
.0  to  60  deg.,  and  for  fine  .0  to  5.00  deg.,  Be.). 

TABLE  OF  OUNCES  AND  GRAINS  IN  FRACTIONS 
OF  AN  OUNCE. 

1  grain  equals  .0023  ozs.      10  grains  equal  .0230  ozs. 

2  grains  equal  .0046  16 

. 0068  20 

.0091  25 

.0110  30 

.0137  35 

.0160  40 

.0183  45 


.0206 


50 


'  .0343 
.0457 
.0571 
.0686 
.0800 
.0914 
.1028 
.1143 
One-half  oz.  equals 


One  oz.  av.  equals  437  grains. 

218.75  grains.     One-quarter  oz.  equals  109.4  grains, 
and  one-eighth  oz.  equals  54.7  grains. 


166 


DRAWING  A  VACUUM. 

Computations  by  Prof.  S.  W.  Robinson,  Prof essor  of 
Mechanical  Engineering,  Ohio  State  University,  Co- 
lumbus, Ohio,  Nov.  24,  1900: 

Answering  your  letter,  I  found  it  to  take  quite  a 
little  study.  I  assume  that  your  pump  has  a  clear- 
ance to  be  filled  at  each  return  stroke  as  if  the  piston 
had  a  hollow  spot,  or  that  a  valve  required  a  space, 
or  something,  so  that  at  end  of  return  stroke  there  was 
this  clearance  vol.  that  cannot  be  rid  of ;  represented 
by  the  vol.  e.  f.  on  sketch.  This  is  always  constant. 

These  values  4",  3.55,  3.12  and  2.78  are  the  limit 
to  which  your  pump  lowers  the  barometer  column  to, 
at  limit  of  exhaustion  by  pump,  and  are  proportioned 
to  the  barometric  columns  at  the  stations  before  pump- 
ing. That  is,  the  above  figures  are  proportional  to  30", 
26.62"  23.38"  &c.,  in  a  given  air  pump,  whatever  the  air 
pressure. 

It  may  be  the  air  pressure  to  lift  the  weight  of  valve 
&c.  -) 

Fine  physical  laboratory  air  pumps  require  this 
valve  to  be  lifted  by  force  automatically. 

Now  as  the  piston  of  your  pump  lifts,  assume  first, 
that  the  air  under  it  remains  constant  temp.,  and  that 
the  vacuum  is  about  completed  as  far  as  your  pump 
will  do  it,  then,  at  any  stroke  or  two,  the  pressure  will 
be,  say  30"  mercury  at  sea  level  where,  for  now,  as- 
sume the  pump  to  be.  On  lifting  piston  from  C.  to  B., 
the  stroke  (O.C.  being  clearance),  the  falling  pressure 
with  increasing  stroke  will,  for  air  at  constant  temper- 
ature in  pump,  describe  the  curve  D.,  F.,  G.,  L.,  &c., 
stopping  at  L.,  actually, as  end  of  stroke;  but  if  piston 
kept  on,  the  line  would  continue  as  to  x. 

At  3,500  feet  elevation,  the  curve  would  be  at  H.  M. 
At  7,000  feet  elevation  the  curve  would  be  at  I.,  N., 
or  at  top  of  Pike's  Peak  at  14,500  feet  elevation  the 
curve  would  be  at  J.,  O  ,  and  so  on. 

In  your  letter  you  speak  of  the  terminal  mercury 
column  being  4"  shorter  or  26"  instead  of  at  air  pres- 
sure, 30";  or  really,  I  suppose  the  column  connected 

i6r 


168 


with  the  clearance  side  of  pump  will  stand  at  4"  when 
the  pump  has  reached  its  limit.  This  4"  will  be  found 
at  L.,  on  the  curve  when  the  pump  has  completed  its 
stroke,  or  a  stroke  at  finish  of  pump's  practical 
vacuum. 

Now  these  curves  will  be  equilateral  hyperbolas  of 
air  expansion,  where  equivalent  of  curve  is  xy=con- 
stant,  or  say  eq.  ADxCD=xy.  Consequently  the 
values  BL,  BM,  BN,  etc.,  will  be  proportional  to 
CD,  CH,  CI,  etc.,  respectively,  so  that  when  the 
barometric  heights  are  30",  26.62,  23.38,  etc.,  the 
heights  BL,  BM,  BN,  etc.,  become  known.  (For 
sudden  or  quick  pumping,  the  curve  is  adiabatic.) 

The  values,  26.62,  23.38,  etc.,  are  to  be  determined 
by  some  barometric  formula  from  the  heights  such  as 
you  gave  as  3,500  feet  and  7,000  feet  elevation.  This 
formula  is  the  well-known  Laplace  barometric  for- 
mula you  may  be  familiar  with,  which  is: 

X.  (ft.  in  el.)  =  60346  (1.+.00256  Cos.  20)  (1+  2T+Ti- 
* 


T  andT,  are  centigrade  temperatures  at  two  stations, 
and  H,  Hlt  bar.  hts.,  I  drop  out  the  (<£.)  whole  paren- 
thesis or  latitude  term  in  my  calculation  here,  giv- 
ing: 

X.  in  feet,  =  60346.  (1  +2I_tJi:)(log  |L) 

With  this  data  I  now  arrive  at  a  set  of  figures  thus: 

At     200  ft.  el.  30     in.  mercury  tern.  60  deg.  Fah.==16     deg.  C. 
"    3,500  "    "   26.62"  "  "     50    "         "   =10        "      " 

"    7,000  "    "   23.38"  "  "     40    "         "    =  4.4    ••      " 

"14,500"    "    17.40"  "  "    32    "         "    =0.0    "      " 

Now  allowing  for  the  residual  mercurial  columns, 
measuring  your  vacuum,  at  the  different  altitudes  of 
4",  3.35",  3.12"  and  2.78",  etc.,  you  get 

OA"  _  AH  _  9A"  *\ 

9ft  ftn    Q~QK_OQ  rv?"  I      As  indicating  the  mercurial 

23  38=2  12=20  26"  fc°lumn  which  rePresent 
17.  40-2.78=14.  62"  J  vacuums- 


169 


These  figures  in  last  column  are  really  exactly  the 
same  as  you  have  given  in  your  letter  for  the  highest 
viz.  26"  at  sea  level,  23"  at  3,500  feet  elevation  and 
20"  at  7,000  feet  elevation.  You  say  24"  to  26",  23"  to 
21",  18"  to  20",  as  if  you  readily  got  the  lower  values 
at  each  place,  and  that  the  larger  values  at  each 
place  were  the  limits.  These  exactly  agree  with  my 
results.  I  used  your  4"  as  from  30"  to  26",  4"  at 
lower  station.  This  treated  by  the  diagram  gives  the 
other  figures. 

To  go  farther  with  the  columns  toward  the  perfect 
vacuums  will  require  a  more  perfect  pump  or  one 
with  less  clearance.  One  way  with  same  pump  is  to 
have  oil  or  water  to  stay  in  pump  to  fill  clearance 
e.  f.  at  each  return  of  stroke. 

PROF.  S.  W.  ROBINSON, 

Nov.  24, 1900.  O.  S.  U.,  Columbus,  O. 

THE   DETERMINATION  OF   LIFE  OF 
TREATED  TIMBER,  IN  RAILROAD  TIES. 

The  determination  of  life  of  timber  when  exposed 
as  in  cross  ties  or  sleepers  in  a  railroad  track  with 
any  degree  of  precision  is,  for  several  reasons,  very 
difficult.  To  approach  anything  near  it  requires  a 
careful  record  in  detail,  which  is  very  difficult  to  keep 
for  a  sufficient  length  of  time  as  things  go.  Even  if 
this  was  done  ever  so  carefully  and  definite  data  were 
secured  in  one  locality,  the  differences  in  climate, 
soils  and  conditions  would  give  something  quite  dif- 
ferent at  another  location. 

This  being  the  conditions,  we  will  have  to  be  satis- 
fied with  an  approximation. 

The  following  sketch  is  intended  to  show  some 
deductions  from  the  limited  records  in  reach  as 
furnished  by  the  A.  T.  &  S.  F.  Ry.  on  the  treated 
mountain  pine  ties.  The  percentages  as  shown  by 
line  A.  as  regards  the  first  eight  years,  is  derived 
partially  from  the  early  periods  of  subsequent  years 
(after  1896),  where  number  of  rotten  ties  removed 
have  been  reported.  From  1897  to  1900  we  have 
full  record. 


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It  will  be  seen  here  that  the  mean  life  is  near  eleven 
and  one-half  years,  and  that  the  rate  so  far  as  to  life 
is  the  minimum.  We  do  not  know  how  many  ties  of 
each  year's  treating  have  been  removed  previous  to 
the  commencement  of  the  record  in  1897.  Referring 
to  table  compiled  in  October,  1900,  compiled  on  the 
presumption  of  twelve  years  mean  life,  we  find  that 
not  nearly  so  many  rotten  ties  are  being  removed  as 
should  have  been.  (Only  from  50  to  75  per  cent.) 
Should  the  same  be  true  as  to  the  years  from  1885 
to  1896,  then  it  is  presumed  that  our  line  is  too  high 
at  first  and  that  in  the  end  a  year  or  two  more  can  be 
added  to  the  mean  life  here  shown  for  treated  ties. 

Awaiting  the  time  when  the  record  shall  have  been 
completed,  we  shall  have  to  rest  content  on  what  we 
have. 

The  line  B.  B.  is  intended  as  an  approximate  for 
untreated  hemlock  and  C.  C.  that  for  mountain 
untreated  pine  ties,  presuming  that  much  the  same 
law  will  govern  as  with  the  treated  ties. 

Granting  that  the  diagram  is  anything  near  right, 
it  speaks  "  graphically  "  for  itself. 

ON  THE  ECONOMIES  OF  TIMBER   PRESER- 
VATION. 
(Copy) 

ON  LINE,  Sept.  14, 1902. 
MR.  H.  U.  MUDGE, 

General  manager,  A.  T.  £  S.  F.  Ry., 

Topeka,  Kan. 

Dear  Sir : — I  beg  to  acknowledge  receipt  of  your 
favor  of  September  8,  which  was  forwarded  to  me 
while  on  the  line  west,  giving  figures  showing  the 
average  life  of  treated  ties  taken  out  of  track  during 
the  year  1901.  It  would  .seem  from  the  statement 
that  the  best  results  you  receive  from  your  Rip 
Grande  division,  next  coming  the  New  Mexico  divi- 
sion. From  the  divisions  east  of  the  Western  divi- 
sion, it  would  seem  there  was  not  much  economy  in 
the  use  of  the  treated  tie,  the  average  life  being 

173 


practically  eight  years.  Of  course,  this  is  consider- 
ably over  the  life  of  the  tie  untreated,  still  at  the 
same  time  the  additional  cost  of  the  treated  over  the 
ordinary  pine  without  treatment  would,  in  my  mind, 
make  up  the  difference.  I  should  be  very  glad  in- 
deed to  hear  from  you  on  this  subject,  and  whether 
you  consider  the  tie  economical  to  use  east  of  our 
Western  division.  Yours  truly, 

(Signed)        RUSSELL  HARDING, 
3d  Vice-Pres.  and  Gen'l.  Mgr.  Mo.  Pac.  Ry. 

(Copy) 

TOPEKA,  KAN.,  Sept.  26,  1902. 
Tie  Treating  Report. 
MR.  RUSSELL  HARDING, 

3d  Vice-Pres.  and  Gen'l.  Mgr.  Mo.  Pac.  Ry., 

St.  Louis,  Mo. 

Dear  Sir: — I  am  in  receipt  of  yours  of  the  14th  inst., 
hereon,  and  note  contents.  It  would  probably  have 
been  better  when  these  reports  were  sent  out  if 
special  attention  had  been  called  to  the  fact  that  the 
figures  represented  only  the  average  life  of  treated 
ties  taken  out  on  account  of  rot  during  1901,  and  not 
the  average  life  of  all  the  ties  treated  during  each 
year. 

We  commenced  wood  preservation  in  1885  at  our 
Las  Vegas  plant,  treating  only  mountain  pine  and 
laying  the  ties  west  of  Dodge  City,  Kansas,  out  prin- 
cipally in  New  Mexico.  Unfortunately,  it  was  not 
until  1897  that  we  realized  the  necessity  of  keeping 
record  of  the  service  obtained  through  this  work,  so 
that  from  1885  to  1896  inclusive,  while  we  put  in 
2,528,746  treated  ties,  we  have  no  record  of  how  many 
were  taken  out  each  year  or  the  reason,  consequently 
cannot  give  any  present  average  life  of  service,  for 
those  still  in,  and  must,  until  our  present  records  are 
old  enough,  be  content  with  knowing  the  average 
life  of  those  taken  out. 

In  1898  we  commenced  getting  treated  Southern 
pine  ties  from  the  Texas  plant  at  Someryille,  but 
these  have  not  yet  been  in  long  enough  to  give  us  re- 

174 


liable  data  from  which  to  determine  the  percentage 
of  saving,  although  the  Southern  Pacific,  who  have 
been  treating  loblolly  sap  wood  since  1886,  using  the 
same  system  of  treating  that  we  have,  that  we  now 
use,  claim  that  it  about  doubles  the  life  of  the  tie  at 
less  than  one-third  its  cost.  This  is  practically  our 
own  experience,  even  judging  by  the  ties  which 
have  come  out  of  the  Western  end  where  we  have 
had  long  enough  time  to  base  an  opinion  upon.  You 
will  see  by  the  record  sent  that  in  1901  we  took  out 
4,472  mountain  pine  ties  which  have  been  in  the 
track  since  1885 — sixteen  years*  service,  when  at  the 
most  without  treating  we  could  not  have  expected 
more  than  six  years,  and  I  am  satisfied  there  are 
quite  a  few  thousand  ties  of  1885  yet  in  the  track  and 
good  for  two  or  three  years  more  service. 

Answering  your  remarks  as  to  the  economy  of 
treated  ties  east  of  our  Western  division,  in  consider- 
ing this  it  would  not  be  fair  to  include  the  number 
taken  out  from  "  other  causes,"  which  cover  those 
broken  in  accidents  or  removed  for  reasons  entirely 
outside  of  the  question  of  treatment;  but  when  the 
number  removed  on  account  of  rot  is  considered 
alongside  of  the  total  number  put  in,  it  will  be  seen 
that  it  bears  a  very  small  proportion  to  the  number 
inserted  in  track,  as  you  will  see  by  figures  given: 

In  connection  with  these  figures,  and  with  our 
averages  as  a  whole,  it  must  not  be  overlooked  that  it 
is  the  "  weak  sisters'*  which  come  out  first;  the  strong, 
sound  ones  remaining  in  a  much  longer  time  under 
the  principle  of  the  survival  of  the  fittest. 

I  certainly  consider  that  our  experience  and  econ- 
omy also  warrants  us  in  the  use  of  treated  ties  on-  the 
whole  of  our  road,  and  believe  good  results  will  be 
apparent  in  course  of  time  from  those  put  in  on  the 
Eastern  end,  as  well  as  on  the  Western.  This  year 
we  had  to  put  in  a  good  many  ties  not  treated,  but  it 
is  because  we  are  unable  to  get  all  of  the  other  kind 
that  we  called  for. 


175 


STATEMENT. 

TREATED  PINE  TIES. 

Eastern  end,  cast  of  Western  and  Colorado  Divisions, 

Taken  out  between   March  1,  1897  and   December 
31, 1901. 

Entered  against  year  in  which  they  were  treated. 


Year  in  which  treated  and 
put  in  track. 

Ties  in 
Track  Jan. 
1,  1902. 

Rotten. 

Other 
Causes. 

4J 

I 

1897  27,831 

27,818 

11* 

2 

13 

1898                      .            314  126 

314  066 

37t 

23 

60 

1899  658,775 

658,664 

111 

111 

1900            787377 

786,789 

5 

583 

588 

1901                                   658  694 

658  676 

18 

18 

Total  2,446,803 

2,446,013 

53 

737 

790 

Western  end. 


1897  

242,750 

242,309 

305* 

136 

441 

1898  

...  .  334  058 

333,727 

lOlt 

230 

331 

1899 

351  570 

351  359 

21 

190 

211 

1900  

375,132 

375,121 

11 

11 

1901 

...  .  402,540 

402  483 

2 

55 

57 

Total  

1,706,050 

1  ,704,999 

429 

622 

1,051 

Total  on  A.  T.  and  S.  F.  proper. 


1897  
1898  

270.581 
648,184 

270,127 
647,793 

316* 

138t 

138 
253 

454 
391 

1899      .  .  . 

....  1,010,345 

1,010,028 

21 

301 

322 

1900  ,  

1,162,509 

1,161,910 

5 

594 

599 

1901  

1,061,234 

1,061,159 

2 

73 

75 

Total  

4,152,853 

4,151,017 

482 

1,359 

1,841 

*Mean  for  4  years  rotten  .00094  | 
tMean  for  3  years  rotten  .00021  f 


_       _       -     HOWE. 


176 


We  expect  to  have  more  and  special  attention 
given  to  this  wood  preservation  matter  in  the  future, 
and  through  our  own  experiments  in^a  small  plant 
put  up  here  for  that  purpose,  and  are  in  hopes  of  so 
improving  our  treatment  as  to  get  even  better  results 
than  in  the  past.  (Sig.)  H.  U.  MUDGE, 

General  Manager, 

A.  T.  &  S.  F.  Ry. 

COST  OF  TREATING  TIES. 

The  appended  table  gives  the  average  cost  of 
treating  ties  at  the  several  plants.  This  is  the  net 
cost  covering  chemicals,  labor,  fuel  and  supplies  only. 

The  character  of  the  timber  varies  so  that  the 
strength  of  the  chloride  of  zinc  solution  also  varies 
from  over  four  per  cent  in  some  cases  to  one  and 
one-quarter  per  cent. 

TABLE. 


( 

3ost  of 

Process. 

Chemicals. 

Labor. 

1 
h 

Supplies  . 

Total. 

A     Wellhouse 

$0  0680 

$0  0343 

|0  0058 

|0  0026 

$0  1107 

B.             "         

.0842 

.0469 

.0043* 

.1354 

C.    Burnett  

.0616 

0709 

.0037* 

1362 

D.    Wellhouse  
E.             "         .... 

.0885 
.0716 

.0303 
0345 

.0038 
0084 

.0032 
.0021 

.1258 
1168 

F.    Burnett  

0554 

0 
0329 

0086 

0015 

.0984 

G.    Wellhouse  

.0677 

.0706 

0301 

0055 

.1739 

H.    Burnett  

0622 

0268 

0025* 

.0915 

I.           «       

0369 

0279 

0083 

.0033 

.0764 

*Supplies  included. 


177 


CYLINDER  N.2  ILC»*T,»H. 

WflGHTW  CYLIWOC*.  Oio.'t.r  f>\  U»iH,    1 1 9\  Hid..  M I 

«N£$«ri«n.L<.,l(.'«.»77-WfWI»f4««.«*itfi«ri'.n»-  7»««*Uft 


.  . 

.  Punt.  »n*  «»«««.«.-_- 


-      -  - 

WtlOHTIf  OMRGt 

I  J   («r«     «l«It<   ..         -     -.|04«»lb<) 

Tici  or  tinlir  I3f«  Cui  /f  -   702te  -f 


TIME       fXPANSION.      TtMPtftATUBI 


_0,V«,O.JonyiZ-Jllft 

' 


FIG.  24— RETORT  NO.   2,   SHOWING  CAUSE  OF  BREAKAGE. 

178 


INTRODUCTION   OF  STEAM  TO  THE 
RETORT. 

In  1885,  when  the  Las  Vegas  plant  was  first  in- 
stalled, the  steam  was  introduced  through  the  upper 
dome  near  the  middle  of  the  retort.  Great  distortion 
of  the  shell  of  the  retort  was  at  once  apparent  and 
several  breaks  by  tearing  the  steel  sheets  succeeded 
each  other  at  short  intervals.  These  failures  were  at  the 
bottom  of  the  retort  near  the  middle  and  were  quite 
expensive  to  repair,  requiring  large  patches. 


STEAMING  CrUNDtR  NO  2. WITH    CHARGE  AND  USING  VACUUM  -  STEAM,THROU«uei  I 


It  was  evidently  due  to  the  sudden  heating  of  the 
top  of  the  retort  before  the  steam  reached  the  bottom, 
the  top  sheets  being  expanded  so  as  to  throw  it  into 
an  arch,  causing  tension  on  the  bottom  sheets  beyond 
what  they  would  stand. 

The  whole  difficulty  was  remedied  by  introducing 
the  steam  at  the  lower  dome  and  carrying  it  to  each 
end  and  there  discharging  it,  thus  filling  the  whole 
area  of  the  retort  with  steam,  the  air  being  allowed  to 
escape  through  the  top  dome  as  fast  as  the  steam  from 
each  end  displaced  it. 

The  diagrams  here  given,  with  one  given  on  page 
57  of  the  hand-book,  will  sufficiently  illustrate  the 
causes  of  breakage  as  well  as  suggestive  of  the  rem- 
edy to  be  applied. 


MEASURING  THE  SAPS   EXTRACTED  DUR- 
ING THE  PROCESS  OF  STEAMING. 

In  seeking  a  method  of  determining  the  amount  of 
saps  or  soluble  matter  extracted  during  the  process 
of  steaming,  the  only  practical  method  would  seem 
to  be  by  observing  the  changes  in  weight  of  the  wood, 
and  taking  careful  note  of  the  effects  produced. 

Assuming  that  the  wood  is  dry  when  introduced, 
the  steam  is  introduced  and  held  under  the  required 
pressure  until  the  wood  is  heated  to  the  boiling  point. 
In  practice  we  find  that  much  of  the  steam  required 
to  heat  the  wood  condenses  and  falls  to  the  bottom  of 
the  retort  and  from  thence  is  blown  into  the  sewer  at 
short  intervals.  At  first  this  outfall  is  pretty  nearly 
clear  water  from  condensed  steam,  then  later  some- 
what loaded  with  timber  juices  and  later  heavily  so 
and  finally  again  bearing  nearly  pure  steam  conden- 
sation. Then  the  vacuum  follows,  drawing  the 
vapors  from  the  timber  and  from  the  retort.  If  at 
this  stage  the  timber  is  withdrawn  from  the  retort,  if 
introduced  dry,  will  have  increased  in  weight,  but  if 
introduced  green  and  sappy,  will  be  lighter,  but  we 
cannot  tell  in  either  case  how  much  steam  has  con- 
densed in  the  timber  during  steaming  and  how  much 
is  drawn  away  during  the  vacuum.  But  if  we  weigh 
the  timber  before  treated  and  then  again  after,  we 
have  the  increased  weight,  and  by  the  tub  gauge  we 
have  the  amount  actually  absorbed. 

Invariably  this  latter  quantity  is  much  greater 
than  the  increase  in  the  weight  of  the  timber  by  treat- 
ment. Then  the  difference  is  evidently  the  amount 
of  sap  or  soluble  matter  drawn  from  the  timber.  In 
no  other  way  can  this  be  determined  during  the  ordi- 
nary process  of  treating  timber. 

RULE.— Subtract  increase  of  weight  of  timber  from  weight 
of  solution  absorbed.  This  difference  is  the  weight  of  soluble 
matter  drawn  out. 

180 


TIMBER  IMPREGNATING  LABORATORY  PLANT. 


185 


: ,  -^*™H 

J 


187 


190 


191 


(7 


192 


194 


195 


196 


198 


200 


201 


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OF  THE 

(    UNIVERSITY  ) 

OF 

<iUFORN\^ 


NOTE. — With  more  perfect  instruments  the  boiling  point  is 
between  the  line  given  and  the  ellipse,  perhaps  very  near  the 
latter. 

183 


184 


i  ? 

The  table  here  given  is  results  of  investigration  made  by  the 
aid  and  co-operations  of  three  operators  of  Timber  Preserving 
Plants,  F.  J.  Angier  of  Sheridan,  Wyoming,  H.  J.  Whitmore  of 
Granville,  Texas,  and  F.  H.  Stewart  of  Alamogordo,  New  Mex- 
ico, at  request  of  the  author.  The  primary  purpose  was  to  de- 
termine as  near  as  possible  just  what  takes  place  as  regards 
physical  conditions  during  the  operation.  Each  one,  aside  from 
the  program  furnished,  carried  through  the  operation  entirely 
independent  of  each  other  and  the  uniformity  of  mean  results, 
fully  attest  the  care  and  ability  with  which  each  conducted  the 
experiment. 

One  question  recently  brought  to  the  front  by  the  theorist, 
has  been  the  amount  of  heat  attained  by  the  timber  during 
steaming  and  vacuum,  it  being  urged  that  during  the  producing 
the  vacuum,  the  temperature  of  the  steamed  timber  became  re- 
duced, so  that  a  portion  of  the  vapors  in  the  timber  would  again 
condense  and  thus  fail  to  be  drawn  out.  It  is,  therefore,  urged 
that  a  coil  of  superheated  steam  should  be  used  to  keep  the  tem- 
perature above  the  vaporizing  point  until  the  vacuum  was  fully 
drawn. 

Now  let  us  see:  In  any  case  the  vacuum  drawn  is  never  less 
than  22  inches  and  at  this  point  water  boils  at  14(X>  Fahr.  against 
2120  at  atmospheric  pressure.  Referring  to  the  ta.ble,  we  find 
that  the  mean  temperature  at  completion  of  the  vacuum  is  153° 
F.,  and  the  minimum  135°,  nowhere  as  low  as  the  boiling  point 
in  22  inches  vacuum,  except  in  one  run.  It  would  seem,  there- 
fore, that  a  superheater  coil  is  not  needed. 

Another  point  brought  out  is,  that  during  the  steaming  the 
boiling  point  is  reached  in  a  majority  of  cases,  allowing  for  the 
elevation  above  the  sea  and  the  imperfect  method  resorted  to, 
that  of  withdrawing  the  car  and  pushing  the  thermometer  into 
a  hole  previously  prepared. 

Then  again,  it  will  be  noted  that  dry  ties  age  almost  invari- 
ably heavier  after  the  vacuum  is  drawn  by  about  4  per  cent,  and 
green  ties  are  lighter  by  about  2  per  cent,  than  when  introduced 
and  that  some  very  green  are  slightly  lighter  after  steaming 
and  before  the  vacuum  is  drawn.  This  is  due  to  the  large 
amount  of  water  boiled  out  during  the  steaming,  overbalancing 
the  steam  absorbed. 

There  are  other  significant  matters  brought  out  that  will 
interest  the  experienced  operator,  and  will,  it  is  hoped,  encourage 
further  investigation  in  this  direction. 

Referring  to  matter  of  saps  drawn  from  the  wood  as  per 
page  180  (Hand  Book,  the  column  R.-J),  is  significant  where  none 
is  shown  in  very  dry  ties,  whereas  very  green  ties  give  off  over 
201bs.  per  tie. 

185 


PLANT  'P.' 
BLOW-BACK  6  1?ET07?TS 

CHICAGO.  MIKCH 


190 


APPENDIX. 


THE  CREOSOTE  AND  ZINC-TANNIN 
PROCESSES. 

It  is  deemed  desirable  that  place  be  given  to  the 
following  matter  from  one  of  the  best,  if  not  the  best, 
posted  men  in  regard  to  the  matter  here  treated. 
OCTAVE  CHANUTE,  C.  E.,  has  that  extended  experi- 
ence that  must  give  his  statements  such  degree  of 
authority  as  to  remain  undisturbed  except  by  the 
very  best  substantiated  proofs. 

WORKING  INSTRUCTIONS. 
MATERIALS  NEEDED  FOR  IMPREGNATION. 

Before  the  works  are  put  into  operation  the  neces- 
sary materials  for  injection  have  to  be  ordered  and 
placed  in  their  appropriate  receptacles.  Order  as 
follows: 

CREOSOTE. 

Order  in  the  ratio  of  i  yz  gallons  per  cubic  foot  of 
the  quantity  of  timber  which  it  is  intended  to  creosote 
and  to  the  following  specifications: 

"The  creosote  to  be  a  pure  coal  tar  distillate  of  the 
very  best  quality,  free  from  water  and  all  impurities, 
and  on  analysis  to  give  the  following  results: 

" I.  To  be  entirely  liquid  at  a  temperature  of  120 
degrees  Fahrenheit,  and  to  remain  so  on  cooling  to 
95  degrees. 

"2.  To  contain  not  less  than  25  per  cent,  of  con- 
stituents that  do  not  distill  over  at  a  temperature  of 
600  degrees  Fahrenheit. 

"3.  To  yield  to  a  solution  of  caustic  soda  not  less 
than  6  per  cent  by  volume  of  tar-acids. 

191 


"4-  The  specific  gravity  at  90  degrees  Fahrenheit 
to  range  between  1.040  and  1.065,  water  being  taken 
as  i.ooo  at  the  same  temperature." 

This  is  the  English  specification,  and  London  gov- 
erns the  price  for  creosote  all  over  the  world.  The 
firm  of  Burt,  Boulton  &  Maywood  are  large  dealers  in 
England,  and  the  Barrett  Manufacturing  Co.  lead  in 
the  United  States.  The  price  fluctuates  greatly. 

The  creosote  will  probably  be  received  in  barrels; 
these  should  be  rolled  over  a  gangway  to  the  creosote 
storage  tank  and  dumped  therein.  The  oil  will  prob- 
ably be  fluid,  but  if  it  does  not  flow  easily,  a  closed 
steam  lance  with  flexible  steam  connection  inserted 
into  the  barrel  will  cause  its  rapid  emptying.  From 
the  storage  tank  the  oil  will  be  transferred  by  gravity 
or  pumping  in  needed  quantities  to  the  creosote  reser- 
voir, under  the  retort. 

Steam  coils  are  placed  in  the  creosote  storage  tank, 
in  the  creosote  reservoir  in  the  retort,  and  in  the  meas- 
uring tank  if  one  is  used.  In  addition  to  this,  the  main 
pipes  connecting  these  various  receptacles  have  a 
small  internal  pipe  through  which  steam  or  its  con- 
densations circulate  in  order  to  keep  the  creosote  hot 
and  prevent  clogging. 

The  tests  of  the  creosote  received  will  have  to  be 
made  from  time  to  time  by  a  chemist,  and  it  is  recom- 
mended that  he  shall  procure  a  copy  of  the  book  by 
Lunge,  "Coal-Tar  and  Ammonia." 

CREOSOTING. 

This  process  consists  of  three  operations : 

1.  Steaming   the   timber. 

2.  Producing  vacuum  and  admitting  creosote. 

3.  Application  of  pressure  pump. 

I.      STEAMING  THE  TIMBER. 

The  timber  being  in  the  hermetically  closed  retort 
is  first  subjected  to  the  action  of  steam,  unless  the 
wood  is  so  thoroughly  seasoned  as  not  to  require 
this.  The  time  necessary  for  steaming  depends  upon 
the  season  and  the  kind  and  condition  of  the  wood. 

192 


The  object  of  this  steaming  is  to  put  the  timber  in 
a  condition  to  absorb  the  greatest  possible  amount  of 
the  preserving  fluid,  by  dissolving  and  removing  as 
much  of  the  sap  as  possible,  as  well  as  whatever  dirt 
there  may  be  on  the  faces  of  the  wood. 

The  admission  of  steam  to  the  retort  is  to  be  so 
regulated  that  the  gauge  attached  thereto  shall  in- 
dicate a  steam  pressure  of  20  pounds  at  the  end  of 
not  less  than  30  minutes  after  beginning  the  process. 
This  steam  pressure  is  then  to  be  kept  up,  without 
increase,  for  a  further  period,  varying  from  30  min- 
utes to  three  hours,  in  accordance  with  the  condition 
and  kind  of  the  wood.  The  preener  it  is  the  longer 
must  the  steaming  be  continued  to  extract  the  sap. 
The  denser  the  wood  the  more  does  it  require  long 
steaming  in  order  that  the  sap  in  the  heart  of  the 
timber  shall  reach  the  boiling  point.  Very  dense 
woods,  with  small  and  infrequent  sap  cells,  should 
not  be  treated  at  all,  as  this  will  be  a  waste  of 
money.  The  fact  may  be  determined  by  weighing 
thoroughly  seasoned  specimens  and  rejecting  the 
woods  which  weigh  50  pounds  or  more  to  the  cubic 
foot  when  in  that  dry  condition,  or  over  55  pounds 
to  the  cubic  foot  when  half  seasoned.  Experience 
will  have  to  guide. 

In  order  to  expel  the  air  from  the  retort  at  the 
beginning  of  the  steaming,  a  valve  attached  to  the 
lower  part  of  the  retort  must  be  opened  until  steam 
begins  to  escape ;  this  valve  must  also  be  opened 
from  time  to  time,  or  left  with  a  very  minute  open- 
ing during  the  process  of  steaming,  in  order  to  draw 
off  the  water  of  condensation. 

After  steaming  the  wood  for  a  sufficient  length 
of  time,  the  steam  is  allowed  to  escape  from  the  re- 
tort. The  steam  valve  and  all  escape  valves  are  then 
closed  before  proceeding  to  pump  a  partial  vacuum. 

2.      PRODUCING  VACUUM   AND   ADMITTING   CREOSOTE. 

After  the  steam  is  exhausted  from  the  retort,  a 
vacuum  of  18  to  24  inches  of  mercury,  as  indicated 
on  the  vacuum  gauge,  is  produced,  and  this  amount 


of  rarefaction  must  be  kept  up  from  10  minutes  to 
one  hour,  as  experience  with  the  kinds  of  wood  oper- 
ated upon  shall  indicate.  Then,  without  decreasing 
the  vacuum,  i.  e.,  without  stopping  the  air  pump, 
the  creosote,  previously  heated  to  120  degrees  F.,  is 
admitted.  This  is  done  by  opening  the  valve  lead- 
ing to  the  creosote  reservoir  under  the  retort,  when 
the  fluid  rises  through  the  action  of  atmospheric 
pressure,  so  as  to  fill  the  retort  partially,  the  re- 
mainder of  the  filling  and  the  application  of  pres- 
sure are  effected  by  means  of  the  pressure  pump. 

3.      APPLICATION    OF   PRESSURE   PUMP. 

The  pump  is  to  be  put  into  and  continued  in  action 
until  the  pressure  is  raised  to  100  pounds  to  the 
square  inch,  and  this  must  be  maintained,  until  the 
requisite  amount  of  creosote  has  been  forced  into 
the  timber,  the  air  pump  being  shut  off  as  soon  as  it 
is  ascertained  that  the  retort  is  full  of  creosote. 
The  time  requisite  to  produce  absorption  by  the 
wood  will  vary  from  30  minutes  to  three  hours,  and 
the  amount  to  be  injected  will  vary  from  ten  pounds 
to  the  cubic  foot  for  timber  to  be  exposed  only  to  the 
weather,  to  sixteen  to  twenty  pounds  per  cubic  foot 
for  timber  to  be  exposed  in  the  sea  to  the  action  of 
marine  worms,  i.  e.,  the  Teredo  Navalis  or  the  Lim- 
noria  Terebrans.  If  necessary  the  time  of  pumping 
must  be  prolonged  until  the  required  amount  of  cre- 
osote has  been  absorbed. 

In  order  to  determine  the  amount  of  oil  absorbed 
by  each  charge,  two  methods  are  employed.  The 
first  is  to  read  accurately  the  gauges  or  indicator 
boards  attached  to  the  creosote  tank  and  the  creo- 
sote reservoir  before  and  after  the  injection  of  the 
timber.  From  these  readings  the  amount  of  oil  ab- 
sorbed by  the  charge  is  computed,  and  knowing  the 
number  of  cubic  feet  in  the  charge  the  quantity  per 
cubic  foot  is  easily  ascertained.  If  through  any 
cause  it  is  impracticable  to  measure  beforehand  the 
volume  of  charge,  the  amount  of  cubic  feet  which 
it  contains  may  be  ascertained  approximately  by 

194 


first  gauging  the  cubic  contents  of  the  retort  with 
only  the  empty  buggies  and  the  wire  rope  therein; 
then  by  reading  the  gauges,  first,  before  admitting 
the  creosote:  second,  when  the  retort  is  just  full, 
and,  third,  after  the  creosote  has  been  forced  back; 
the  displacement  of  the  charge  in  cubic  feet  may  then 
be  computed,  as  more  fully  explained  hereinafter. 

The  second  method  of  determining  the  amount  of 
oil  absorbed  by  each  charge  is  to  weigh  each  buggy 
load  just  before  and  just  after  creosoting;  the  dif- 
ference showing  the  weight  absorbed,  and  this  is  pre- 
sumably evenly  distributed  among  the  number  of 
cubic  feet  in  that  buggy  charge.  This  is  probably 
the  more  accurate  way,  but  it  reauires  the  introduc- 
tion of  a  weighing  scale  in  the  track,  or  the  handling 
and  weighing  of  each  piece  of  timber  separately. 
In  computing  the  result,  the  amount  of  sap  pre- 
viously extracted  by  the  vacuum  must  be  taken  into 
account,  and  be  added  to  the  increased  weight  shown 
by  weighing.  This  extracted  sap  can  be  measured 
through  the  hot  well  of  the  condenser,  and  its  weight 
thus  ascertained. 

In  case  of  any  charge  in  which  the  timber  fails 
to  absorb  the  requisite  quantity  of  creosote,  the  proc- 
ess may  be  repeated.  The  tar-oil,  or  creosote,  is  to 
be  kept  at  a  temperature  of  at  least  120°  F.  during 
the  whole  operation  of  injection. 

After  the  requisite  quantity  of  oil  has  been  ab- 
sorbed by  the  timber,  and  this  may  be  most  accu- 
rately determined  by  adding  a  measuring  tank  to  the 
works,  the  tar  oil  is  then  drawn  off. 

CREOSOTING. 

The  creosote  or  "dead  oil"  is  to  be  stored  in 
a  metal  tank  (iron  or  steel),  in  which  is  placed 
a  steam  heating  coil  to  bring  and  keep  the  oil  at 
such  temperature  as  shall  be  necessary  to  keep  it 
entirely  fluid  or  liquefied  (say,  120  to  130  deg.  F.). 

The  suction  pipe  of  the  pump  by  which  the  oil 
is  to  be  handled  enters  the  side  of  the  store  tank 
and  has  its  inlet  very  near  the  bottom,  by  means 

195 


of  which  the  oil  is  drawn  to  the  pump  and  by  it 
forced  into  the  reservoir  placed  immediately  under 
the  retort  or  into  the  retort  itself  as  during  pressure 
on  the  charge. 

The  reservoir  is  also  furnished  with  a  heating  coil 
by  which  the  temperature  of  the  oil  is  still  further 
raised  to  such  temperature  as  may  be  found  de- 
sirable, not  so  high  as  to  prevent  or  destroy  the 
vacuum  in  the  retort  by  which  it  must  be  caused  to 
flow  into  the  retort. 

In  case  the  vacuum  should  fail  to  fill  the  retort 
around  its  charge,  then  resort  must  be  had  to  the 
force  pump  to  fill  the  remaining  by  drawing  prefer- 
ably from  the  storage  tank,  although  if  the  reservoir 
contents  are  not  too  hot,  from  it.  This  as  well 
for  creating  proper  pressure  on  the  charge  during 
its  exposure  to  the  oil. 

INTRODUCING  THE  CREOSOTE  TO  THE 
RETORT. 

The  charge  having  been  carried  through  the 
steaming  process,  the  same  as  done  in  section  i 
for  the  zinc-tannin  process,  and  the  vacuum  drawn 
and  held  for  the  desired  time  to  exhaust  the  freed 
saps  from  the  timber,  the  creosote  is  allowed  to  flow 
up  through  the  five-inch  valve  and  connecting  pipe 
joining  the  reservoir  with  the  bottom  of  the  retort 
by  opening  the  valve  "R,"  and  at  the  same  time 
opening  an  air  pipe  with  which  the  reservoir  is  to 
be  provided  in  order  that  atmospheric  pressure  shall 
act  on  the  liquid  in  the  reservoir,  which  should  lift 
so  much  of  it  as  will  fill  the  retort,  the  full  force 
being  kept  up  by  continuing  the  use  of  the  vacuum 
pump. 

When  the  retort  is  filled  as  nearly  as  practicable, 
then  the  valve  "R"  should  be  closed,  the  vacuum 
pump  stopped  and  the  pressure  pump  immediately 
started  and  the  remaining  space  in  the  retort  filled 
and  pressure  brought  on  the  charge,  preferably 
drawing  from  the  storage  tank,  as  this  will  tend 

196 


to  keep  up  the  supply  and  replace  the  amount  ab- 
sorbed by  the  timber. 

DURING   EXPOSURE   OF   CHARGE  TO   THE 
OIL. 

When  the  charge  is  all  in  and  the  pressure 
pump  in  operation,  steam  is  turned  on  the  heat- 
ing coil  in  the  retort  and  the  temperature  of  the 
oil  is  raised  to  that  prescribed,  say  170  to  190  deg. 
F.,  and  so  held  until  sufficient  absorption  is  had, 
which  being  done,  the  residue  of  oil  is  allowed  to 
flow  back  into  its  reservoir  through  the  pipe  and 
the  valve  "R"  through  which  it  entered.  The 
charge  of  timber  is  allowed  to  drip  until  quite  free 
from  the  clinging  oil,  the  operation  is  complete  and 
the  charge  is  withdrawn. 

OPERATION   OF  THE  HEATING   OIL. 

The  store  tank,  the  reservoir  and  the  retort 
have  each  its  independent  steam  supply  pipe 
from  the  main  steam  pipe  in  the  machinery  room, 
with  a  valve  in  each,  convenient  to  the  hand  of  the 
engineer  by  which  each  coil  is  operated  as  needed, 
and  the  outlet  of  condensations  leading  from  each 
coil,  enter  one  common  steam  trap,  which  in  its  turn 
has  a  discharge  pipe  leading  to  the  hot  water  reser- 
voir or  the  boiler  feed  tank,  as  may  be  desired.  The 
operator  should  be  guided  by  the  necessities,  being 
indicated  by  the  thermometers  placed  upon  the  stor- 
age tank,  the  reservoir  and  the  retort. 

Read  the  gauges  and  the  indicator  boards  at  the 
proper  times,  and  also  the  glass  tube  of  the  hot- 
well  to  the  condenser,  and  fill  out  the  blanks  in  the 
report  of  run. 

Much  of  the  knowledge  necessary  to  be  entirely 
successful  must  be  derived  from  experience  and  a 
considerable  exercise  of  judgment  and  careful  ob- 
servation. As  regards  the  matter  of  temperature 
of  oils  or  solutions,  strength  of  solutions,  time,  steam 
or  pressure  shall  be  held  and  many  other  pertinent 

197 


matters ;  this  depends  so  largely  on  the  character 
of  timber  to  be  treated,  to  climatic  conditions  and 
to  the  specifications  and  methods  to  be  used,  that 
it  would  be  impossible  to  explain  this  through  the 
present  means,  and  it  can  only  be  done  by  an  ex- 
perienced operator  on  the  ground. 

CHLORIDE  OF  ZINC. 

The  chloride  vats  are  lead  lined,  so  that  the 
chloride  can  be  made  on  the  spot  by  pouring  hydro- 
chloric acid  over  metallic  zinc  (spelter)  in  case  those 
materials  can  be  procured,  but  it  is  assumed  that  it 
will  be  preferred  to  use  the  "fused  chloride  of  zinc," 
which  comes  in  iron  drums.  Order  the  latter  in  the 
ratio  of  one-half  pound  per  cubic  foot  of  the  quan- 
tity of  timber  which  it  is  intended  to  treat  there- 
with. Fused  chloride  is  made  by  a  number  of  firms 
in  Germany,  which  are  well  known  to  the  chemical 
agencies,  and  by  one  or  more  firms  in  the  United 
States. 

A  convenient  way  of  handling  the  drums  will  be 
to  roll  them  over  the  gangway  above  the  chloride 
vats,  there  to  chop  off  the  sheet  iron,  which  is  quite 
thin,  with  an  axe,  and  to  chop  the  chloride  into  suit- 
able pieces  to  throw  into  the  vats,  using  each  alter- 
nately. By  adding  about  the  same  weight  of  pure 
water  as  there  is  of  the  chloride  and  letting  it  stand 
a  day  or  two,  this  dissolves  into  a  "stock  solution," 
which  should  read  about  50  degrees  with  the  Beau- 
me  hydrometer.  From  this  "stock  solution"  appro- 
priate quantities  are  to  be  thrown  up  by  the  steam 
jet  into  the  chloride  storage  tank,  to  produce  the 
strength  of  "working  solution"  desired,  which  will 
vary  probably  from  2°  to  5°  Beaume,  in  accordance 
with  the  condition  of  the  timber  to  be  treated,  as 
more  fully  stated  hereafter.  When  the  general  con- 
ditions of  the  working  have  been  arrived  at,  much 
labor  of  computation  will  be  saved  by  preparing  a 
table  showing  how  many  tenths  of  feet  from  the 
chloride  vat,  should  be  mixed  per  foot  of  water  in 


the  storage  tank  in  order  to  produce  the  strength  of 
"working  solution"  required. 

The  testing  of  the  chloride  of  zinc  will  have  to  be 
made  from  time  to  time  by  a  chemist.  It  should  be 
as  free  as  possible  from  impurities,  and  especially 
from  iron.  The  chemist  will  indicate  what  simple 
tests  can  be  applied  at  the  works  to  test  for  iron, 
free  acid,  sulphates  or  basic  chloride  when  he  is  not 
present. 

GELATINE. 

Order  dry  glue  in  the  ratio  of  i-io  of  a  pound  per 
cubic  foot  of  the  quantity  of  timber  which  it  is  in- 
tended to  treat  by  the  zinc-tannin  process  (some- 
what less  will  be  used).  If  moist  glue  is  to  be  had, 
order  twice  the  above  quantity,  as  it  contains  about 
50  per  cent  of  water.  It  is  not  requisite  that  the 
glue  shall  be  refined  and  the  cheaper  grades  will  an- 
swer very  well,  provided  they  are  rich  in  gelatine. 
This  is  to  be  ascertained  by  testing  a  sample  dis- 
solved to  a  syrup  between  the  fingers,  and  noting  its 
degree  of  adhesiveness,  and  also  by  making  a  solu- 
tion 2  per  cent  strong  and  mixing  in  a  test  tube  with 
a  solution  of  tannin  of  the  same  strength.  The  glue 
which  will  yield  the  largest  volume  of  pellicles  of 
insoluble  artificial  leather  is  the  best  to  use. 

The  glue  is  to  be  dissolved  in  the  appropriate 
cooking  tub  with  hot  water  (best  obtained  by  steam- 
ing) into  a  "stock  solution"  of  convenient  strength, 
whence  it  is  to  be  thrown  up  by  the  steam  jet  into 
the  gelatine  storage  tank  so  as  to  produce  a  "work- 
ing solution"  i  per  cent  strong,  in  terms  of  dry 
glue.  The  exact  strength  is  not  essential,  as  the  of- 
fice performed  by  the  gelatine  and  the  tannin  is  to 
produce  pellicles  of  an  insoluble  substance  which  ob- 
structs the  washing  out  of  the  chloride  of  zinc. 

TANNIN. 

Order  liquid  extract  of  tannin  in  the  ratio  of  i-io 
of  a  pound  per  cubic  foot  of  the  quantity  of  timber 
which  it  is  intended  to  treat  by  the  zinc-tannin  proc- 

199 


ess  (somewhat  less  will  be  used).  The  most  suitable 
is  the  extract  of  hemlock  bark  which  is  made  in 
Pennsylvania  and  in  Michigan,  and  which  contains 
about  30  per  cent  of  tannic  acid  (in  terms  of  oxalic 
acid),  and  is  sold  by  the  pound.  It  is  practicable, 
however,  to  use  other  varieties  of  tannin,  such  as 
extract  of  oak-bark,  of  willow  bark,  or  of  chestnut, 
catechu,  sumach  or  gambier.  If  tannin  containing 
barks  are  to  be  obtained  locally  it  may  be  cheaper  to 
make  the  extract  on  the  spot,  the  essential  point 
being  that  the  "stock  extract"  shall  contain  about  30 
per  cent  of  tannic  acid,  in  terms  of  oxalic  acid.  This 
"stock  extract"  is  to  be  emptied  into  the  appropriate 
cooking  tub,  steamed,  and  thrown  up  by  the  steam 
jet  into  the  tannin  storage  tank  in  such  quantities 
as  to  form  therein  a  "working  solution"  containing 
2  per  cent  of  the  tanriin  "stock  extract."  The  exact 
proportion  is  not  essential  and  a  little  practice  will 
enable  the  operator  of  the  works  to  get  at  the  correct 
proportion  of  water  to  be  added  to  obtain  a  "work- 
ing solution." 

CONDITION  OF  TIMBER. 

The  condition  of  the  timber  before  treatment  is 
the  most  important  element  of  success.  The  wood 
should  be  seasoned,  or  at  least  half  seasoned,  and 
this  can  best  be  ascertained  before  beginning  opera- 
tions by  measuring  and  weighing  samples  of  wood, 
two  or  three  cubic  feet  in  contents,  when  fresh  cut 
and  when  thoroughly  seasoned,  so  as  to  ascertain 
their  weight  per  cubic  foot.  The  difference  between 
the  two  weighings  will  indicate  the  amount  of  the 
watery  portion  of  the  sap  which  has  evaporated,  and 
of  the  amount  of  solution  which  can  probably  be  in- 
jected; this  serving  as  a  guide  in  selecting  those 
woods  which  should  preferably  be  employed.  After 
these  datas  have  been  obtained,  experience  will  guide 
as  to  the  length  of  time  and  the  mode  of  seasoning 
which  are  requisite  to  obtain  good  results.  In  Eu- 
rope wood  is  seldom  treated  before  it  has  been  sea- 
soned from  6  to  12  months.  In  the  United  States 

200 


wood  is  generally  treated  some  4  to  6  months  after 
it  has  been  cut,  but  the  results  are  inferior;  save 
on  the  Pacific  Coast,  where  it  is  said  that  Oregon  fir 
seasoned  in  the  air  2  years  will  take  double  the  time 
for  treatment  which  is  required  for  one  freshly  cut. 
This  probably  results  from  the  presence  of  resin  in 
the  wood,  which  gums  upon  seasoning. 

PREPARATION   FOR  WORKING. 

The  first  requisite  is  that  the  engineer  who  is  to 
operate  the  works  personally  shall  thoroughly  know 
and  understand  all  parts  of  the  plant.  The  retort, 
the  working  tanks,  and  especially  the  piping  and 
valves,  so  as  to  know  what  motions  to  make  to  pro- 
duce certain  results.  After  he  has  made  adequate 
studies  of  these  and  the  tanks  have  all  been  charged 
with  the  liquids  of  the  requisite  working  strength, 
the  operation  consists  essentially  in  the  following 
actions : 

1.  Charging    buggies,    placing    in    retort,    closing 
door. 

2.  Steaming  not  over  20  Ibs.  pressure. 

3.  Producing  vacuum  of  18  to  24  inches. 

4.  Introducing  solutions   and   applying  pressures. 

5.  Forcing  surplus  solutions  back  into  tanks. 

6.  Opening    door    of     retort     and     withdrawing 
charge. 

The  details  for  these  actions  are  given  under  the 
appropriate  headings  in  the  instructions  to  the  engi- 
neer, but  general  instructions  for  some  of  them  are 
as  follows : 

I.      CHARGING  BUGGIES,  ETC. 

The  loads  on  the  buggies  should  fit  the  interior  of 
the  retort  as  completely  as  practicable.  This  is  best 
attained  with  green  operatives  by  using  the  index 
frame,  with  rotating  arms,  which  will  sweep  the  cir- 
cle of  permissible  loading  when  placed  on  the  track 
against  the  buggy.  In  a  short  time  the  men  will 
learn  to  do  without  it.  Care  should  be  taken  that 
the  loads  should  present  square  faces  front  and  rear 

201 


on  the  buggies,  as  they  are  to  be  switched  about 
with  the  wire  rope  attached  to  the  rear  buggy,  all 
the  others  being  pushed  by  it.  When  hauling  the 
load  into  the  retort  the  "pulling  in"  rope  attaches  to 
the  last  buggy,  passes  into  the  retort,  and  through 
the  hand  hole  and  sheave  to  the  winch,  while  the 
"pulling  out"  rope  is  attached  to  the  then  front 
buggy,  is  dragged  in  with  the  train,  and  remains  in 
the  retort  during  the  treatment,  ready  to  be  fastened 
to  after  opening  the  door. 

The  door  is  closed  by  inserting  and  screwing  up 
the  hook  bolts,  going  over  them,  round  after  round, 
to  ensure  even  pressures.  Before  closing  the  door 
the  packing  in  the  groove  is  to  be  lightly  gone  over 
with  moistened  soapstone  powder  to  prevent  stick- 
ing. The  door  is  opened  by  unscrewing  the  bolts. 
Some  practice  is  required  to  avoid  leakages,  the  in- 
sertion of  the  packing  being  an  operation  which 
must  be  carefully  done. 

2.      STEAMING. 

The  pressure  gauere  and  the  thermometer  are  to 
be  carefully  watched  during  the  steaming,  as  the 
pressure  may  not  be  allowed  to  go  over  20  pounds 
to  the  square  inch,  and  the  temperature  over  240  de- 
grees Fahrenheit,  without  danger  of  injuring  the 
strength  of  the  wood.  The  length  of  steaming  will 
vary  with  the  condition  of  the  wood,  and  must  be 
obtained  by  experience.  In  the  case  of  thoroughly 
seasoned  wood  (an  article  which  will  seldom  be 
treated)  the  steaming  can  be  omitted  altogether  with 
profit. 

3.      PRODUCING  VACUUM. 

The  air  pump  produces  both  pressure  and  vacuum. 
The  latter  is  employed  to  exhaust  the  air  and  sap 
from  the  wood,  and  should  range  from  18  to  24 
inches  of  mercury,  in  accordance  with  the  condition 
of  the  wood,  and  the  amount  of  solution  it  is  de- 
sired to  inject.  The  higher  the  vaccum  the  better  the 
wood  is  prepared.  The  amount  of  vapor  pumped 

202 


out  of  the  retort  and  condensed  in  the  condenser  is 
measured  in  the  hot  well  under  the  latter,  and  read 
off  in  the  glass  tube.  If  creosoting,  the  condensed 
vapor  is  saved,  if  working  the  zinc-tannin  process  it 
is  run  to  waste. 

THE  ZINC-TANNIN    PROCESS. 

This  process  consists  of  five  operations : 

1.  Steaming  the  timber. 

2.  Producing  a  vacuum. 

3.  Admitting  chloride  of  zinc.     Pressure. 

4.  Blow  back,  admitting  gelatine.     Pressure. 

5.  Blow   back,   admitting   tannin.    Pressure. 
The  steaming  of  the  timber  and  the  vacuum  are 

to  be  carried  out  in  exactly  the  same  manner  as  for 
creosoting,  and  the  remarks  already  made  will  apply. 
The  third  operation  consists  in  admitting  the 
chloride  of  zinc  solution,  previously  heated  to  150° 
F.,  from  the  chloride  storage  tank,  and  in  applying 
pressure  with  the  zinc  pump.  The  time  during 
which  this  pressure  is  to  continue  will  vary  with 
the  condition  of  the  timber,  but  will  generally  be 
two  or  three  hours,  during  which  the  pressure  must 
be  maintained  at  100  pounds  to  the  square  inch, 
watching  the  gauge,  and  regulating  the  pump.  When 
the  wood  has  been  fully  injected  the  chloride  solu- 
tion is  to  be  forced  back  with  compressed  air  into 
its  tank.  The  strength  of  the  solution  should  gen- 
erally be  3.5°  Beaume.  If  the  timber  is  refractory 
this  may  be  increased  to  5°  Beaume. 

4.      BLOW    BACK    ADMITTING    GELATINE    PRESSURE. 

The  chloride  of  zinc  solution  haying:  been  forced 
back  from  the  retort,  the  gelatine  is  next  admitted, 
and  upon  this  a  pressure  is  applied  of  100  pounds  to 
the  square  inch  for  30  to  60  minutes.  The  wood  has 
already  been  filled  with  the  chloride  of  zinc,  but 
upon  the  removal  of  its  pressure  a  certain  portion 
has  been  driven  out  by  the  re-expanding  of  the  air 
included  in  the  sap  cells,  thus  making  some  room 


for  the  gelatine.  This  penetrates  perhaps  one  inch, 
under  the  renewed  pressure,  but  a  portion  of  this  is 
again  driven  out  by  re-expanding,  thus  making  room 
for  the  fifth  operation. 

5.      BLOW     BACK,     ADMITTING     TANNIN.      PRESSURE. 

The  gelatine  having  been  forced  back  into  its  ap- 
propriate tank,  the  tannin  is  next  admitted,  and  pres- 
sure is  applied  of  100  pounds  to  the  square  inch  by 
the  pump,  for  30  to  60  minutes.  This  penetrates 
from  ^2  to  24  of  an  inch,  and  on  coming  into  con- 
tact with  the  gelatine  forms  an  insoluble  substance 
which  obstructs  the  dragging  put  of  the  chloride  of 
zinc  during  the  alternate  soaking  and  drying  out  of 
timber  when  exposed  to  the  weather. 

This  last  operation  having  been  performed,  the 
tannin  is  forced  back  into  its  tank  and  the  treatment 
is  completed. 

The  time  occupied  by  these  various  operations  as 
carried  out  at  works  in  Chicago  is  as  follows: 

Hours.  Min. 

Charging  two  retorts  with  ties  (read  tank 

gauges)  o  30 

Producing  steam  pressure  to  20  Ibs.  (read 

steam  gauge)  o  30 

Maintenance  steam  pressure  (read  ther- 
mometer)   3 

Blowing   off   steam o  15 

Working  vacuum  pump  to  extract  sap. . . .   i  — 

Admission  chloride  solution  (red  indi- 
cator)   o  30 

Duration  pressure  on  solution  (read  indi- 
cator)    3  — 

Forcing  back  chloride  solution  (read  indi- 
cator)   o  20 

Admission  gelatine  solution  (read  indi- 
cator)   ... o  15 

Duration    pressure    on    gelatine I  — 

Forcing  back  gelatine  solution  (read  indi- 
cator)   o  15 

204 


Hours.  Min. 

Admission  tannin  solution  (read  indica- 
tor)   o  15 

Duration  pressure  on  tannin o  30 

Forcing  back  tannin  solution  (read  indi- 
cator)   O  20 

Discharging    the    retorts o  20 

12  — 

The  time  of  these  various  operations  may  be  some- 
what varied,  and  can  be  shortened  to  8  hours  if  the 
timber  is  well  seasoned.  In  Europe,  where  the  wood 
has  been  seasoned  6  to  12  months,  the  treatment  with 
chloride  of  zinc  (omitting  gelatine  and  tannin)  is 
done  in  about  5  hours.  It  is  desirable  to  arrange  the 
time  occupied  so  that  the  discharging  and  recharg- 
ing the  retorts  shall  be  done  when  the  timber  han- 
dlers are  at  hand  to  help.  The  works  are  generally 
run  night  and  day. 

CHECK  OF  WORK  DONE. 

The  most  accurate  way  of  checking  off  the  work 
done  is  to  weigh  each  buggy  load  just  before  and 
just  after  treatment.  The  difference  in  weight 
shows  the  number  of  pounds  of  solution  injected, 
and  as  the  strength  of  the  chloride  of  zinc  solution 
is  known  before  hand,  the  amount  of  dry  chloride 
injected  is  computed  by  multiplying  the  weight  by 
the  percentage  corresponding  to  the  degrees  Beaume. 
The  following  table  gives  those  percentages : 

PERCENTAGES    OF    ZINC    CHLORIDE. 

Fractional  degrees  may  be  obtained  by  interpola- 
tion. 

This  method  involves  putting  a  track  scale  at 
some  convenient  point,  and  passing  every  buggy 
over  it,  stopping  long  enough  to  weigh  it,  and  re- 
cording the  results  in  a  book.  The  buggies  have 
also  to  be  identified  at  each  weighing,  and  tabular 
statements  have  to  be  made  of  the  results.  All 

205 


this  takes  time,  and  costs  something  for  labor,  so 
that  it  is  somewhat  cheaper  to  rely  wholly  upon  the 
records  of  gauging  kept  by  the  engineers,  which 
should  be  kept  in  any  event,  and  which  may  serve 
as  a  further  check  upon  the  weighing,  should  the 
latter  be  done. 

The  operating  engineer  is  to  keep  a  record  about 
as  follows.  It  may  be  modified  to  suit  circum- 
stances : 

RECORD  OF  OPERATIONS.* 

From  which  record  the  results  may  afterwards  be 
entered  into  a  book  under  such  headings  as  may  be 
deemed  most  desirable. 

The  left-hand  set  of  blanks  gives  a  record  of  the 
time  of  each  operation,  and  the  right-hand  set  gives 
the  data  for  calculating  the  results. 

The  computations  are  made  in  this  way: 

The  retort  has  previously  been  gauged  with  the 
empty  buggies  and  "pulling  out"  wire  rope  inside, 
and  it  is  therefore  known  how  many  cubic  feet  it 
contains  when  in  that  condition.  This  will  be  about 
1,210  cubic  feet.  The  reading  of  the  index  or  indi- 
cator on  the  zinc  chloride  tank  has  been  taken  at 
the  beginning  of  the  operation,  thus  showing  how 
many  vertical  feet  there  are  in  the  tank.  The  "re- 
turn point"  of  this  indicator  has  also  been  read  after 
the  chloride  has  all  been  forced  back.  Hence  the 
difference  between  those  two  readings  will  show 
how  many  vertical  feet  from  the  tank  have  been 
absorbed  by  the  wood,  and  this  multiplied  by  the 
number  of  square  feet  per  foot  of  tank,  which  will 
be  113.10,  if  it  is  just  12  feet  inside  diameter,  will 
give  the  number  of  cubic  feet  of  solution  which 
has  gone  into  the  wood.  From  this  the  pounds  of 
solution,  or  pounds  of  dry  chloride,  may  be  deduced 
by  applying  the  appropriate  factors. 

To  arrive  at  the  cubic  feet  displaced  by  the 
charge,  it  is  necessary  to  deduct  the  reading  of 
"lowest  point  indicator"  from  the  "return  point  in- 
dicator" ;  the  difference,  multiplied  as  before  by  the 

*See  page  78.— AUTHOR.          206 


square  feet  of  area,  gives  the  number  of  cubic  feet 
which  the  retort  still  contained  after  the  wood  had 
been  injected,  and  by  deducting  from  this  the  num- 
ber of  cubic  feet  which  the  retort  holds  when  only 
empty  cars  are  therein,  we  obtain  the  displacement 
of  the  load  in  cubic  feet;  from  which  the  pounds 
of  wood  may  be  calculated  by  applying  the  proper 
factor.  Both  calculations  will  be  greatly  shortened 
by  preparing  tables  corresponding  to  each  vertical 
foot  of  tanks,  after  the  latter  and  the  retort  have 
been  accurately  gauged. 

The  amount  of  gelatine  and  tannin  solutions  ab- 
sorbed may  be  computed  in  the  same  way,  but  there 
is  little  interest  in  doing  so,  as  the  chloride  of  zinc 
is  the  real  preservative. 

The  data  for  each  run  should  subsequently  be  en- 
tered in  a  book,  in  such  order  as  the  nature  of  the 
work  requires. 


,bi 


•Stipe. 

CREOSOTING  TIMBER. 
DESCRIPTION  OF  OUR  PROCESS. 

T     IO 

"CREOSOTING." 

"The  timber  is  first  loaded  on  cars  and  run  into 
cylinders  which  are  then  hermetically  sealed  with 
immense  iron  heads.  Steam  is  then  admitted  into 
the  cylinder  and  surrounding  the  timber.  Superheated 
steam  is  also  introduced  into  the  cylinders  by  means 
of  large  coils  so  that  it  does  not  come  in  contact 
with  the  timber,  and  the  heat  is  maintained  until 
the  timber  is  heated  all  through  at  a  low  temperature 
so  as  not  to  injure  the  woody  fibres.  The  cylinder 
is  then  freed  of  all  vapors,  and  the  vacuum  pumps 
are  put  to  work  to  exhaust  all  the  sap  and  moisture, 
which  is  then  in  the  shape  of  vapor,  from  the 
cylinder.  Heat  is  maintained  in  the  coils  to  prevent 
the  vapor  from  condensing  and  thereby  remaining 
in  the  timber.  As  the  vacuum  pumps  are  constantly 
removing  the  hot  vapor  from  the  timber  it  is  abso- 
lutely necessary  to  keep  the  heat  above  the  con- 
densing point.  To  do  this  requires  practical  expe- 
rience and  means  of  knowing  what  such  heat  is, 
and  as  said  before,  those  two  parts  of  the  process 
are  the  most  important,  and  if  properly  done,  the  oil 
will  be  readily  forced  into  the  timber.  After  this 
has  been  done  the  oil  is  admitted  into  the  cylinders 
while  th'ey  are  under  vacuum,  and  when  all  air  has 
been  withdrawn  they  are  subjected  to  pressure  until 
the  requisite  amount  (which  is  determined  by  cor- 
rect gauges  and  thermometers)  has  been  forced 
into  the  timber,  which,  if  the  timber  has  been  prop- 
erly prepared,  is  only  a  small  part  of  the  process, 
but  if  this  has  not  been  well  done,  the  oil  cannot 
be  put  into  the  timber.  The  cells  of  healthy  timber 
are  full  of  different  substances,  which,  when  sub- 
jected to  heat,  can  be  changed  into  vapor,  and,  un- 
less the  vapor  has  been  completely  removed,  you 


cannot  force  the  oil  into  the  timber,  no  matter  how 
long  the  pressure  has  been  applied.  It  is  only  by 
practical  knowledge  and  delicate  instruments  that 
we  determine  when  the  heat  has  reached  the  center 
of  the  timber,  and  the  vapor  there  formed  has  been 
removed. 

"There  will  be  no  decay  in  any  part  of  the  timber 
that  has  been  permeated  with  the  oil,  but  to  have 
all  parts  saturated  is  expensive  and  useless ;  for,  after 
the  timber  has  been  thoroughly  treated  by  the  heat 
and  vacuum  process,  it  will  last  a  long  time  without 
any  oil,  and  if  the  crevices  and  pores  are  sealed 
up  with  the  oil  to  a  sufficient  depth,  the  timber  is 
as  good  as  if  the  whole  part  has  been  thoroughly 
permeated  with  the  oil.  The  quantity  of  the  oil  to 
be  used  should  be  determined  by  the  use  to  which 
the  timber  is  to  be  subjected. 

"The  Dead  Oil  of  Coal  Tar  used  by  us  in  the 
treatment  of  timber  contains  carbolic  and  cressylic 
acids  which  were  the  only  two  substances  out  oi  the 
thirty -five  examined  by  Dr.  Calvert  which  perfectly 
prevented  the  growth  of  fungus  life,  while  it  is  an 
established  fact  that  timber  impregnated  with  Dead 
Oil  of  Coal  Tar  offers  perfect  resistance  to  the 
ravages  of  the  Toredo,  the  other  insects,  wet  and 
dry  rot 

"Dead  Oil  of  Coal  Tar  is  the  only  known  material 
that  effectually  prevents  the  ravages  of  the  marine 
worms  and  prevents  decay." 

EPPINGER  &  RUSSELL  CO., 

First  street  and  Newton   Creek, 

Long  Island  City,   N.   Y. 


209 


"THE    GIUSSANI    PROCESS." 

The  process  consists  of  submitting  the  tie  to  a  hot 
bath  of  anthracene  and  pitch,  heated  to  about  140° 
C.  (284°  F.)  This  anthracene  and  pitch  having  a 
high  boiling  point,  shows  no  signs  of  ebullition  at 
this  degree  of  heat.  Immediately  upon  the  introduc- 
tion of  the  tie  into  this  hot  oil,  ebullition  takes  place 
and  steam  and  moisture  passes  off,  showing  con- 
clusively that  some  of  the  constituents  of  the  wood 
are  passing  away.  After  a  period  varying  from  2 
to  4  hours,  this  ebullition  ceases,  showing  that  the 
sap  and  moisture  have  completely  passed  off. 

After  the  above  heating  process,  the  tie  is  trans- 
ported mechanically  into  a  cold  bath  of  heavy  oil 
of  tar;  remaining  in  this  bath  for  a  period  of  about 
10  minutes,  again,  it  is  mechanically  carried  into  a 
bath  of  cold  chloride  of  zinc,  and  remaining  there  a 
variable  time,  according  to  the  amount  desired  to 
inject  into  the  tie. 

If  it  is  so  desired,  the  tie  can  be  treated  with  oil 
of  tar  alone.  In  fact,  anything  in  a  preservative  line 
can  be  so  injected  into  the  ties. 

A  guarantee  that  Beech  ties  shall  last  as  follows: 
About  75  p.  c.  must  last  10  years,  25  p.  c.  12  years, 
and  15  p.  c.  15  years. 

F.  W.  DRURY,  Secy. 


210 


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The  Martin  Oil  Joint  is  adopted  in  this  case  to  give 
flexibility  at  three  different  points.  First  to  allow  the 
reach  of  the  connection  to  be  held  by  the  tower  in  a 
nearly  vertical  position  when  not  in  use;  to  allow  it  to 
be  lowered  to  connect  with  the  pump  on  the  vessel 
and  to  accommodate  itself  to  the  varying  position 
of  the  vessel.  The  joint  has  a  rotary  motion  on  the 
perpendicular  of  its  axis  and  also  a  limited  movement 
from  the  axis.  Three  joints  are  here  used. 

211 


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214 


SPECIFICATIONS  FOR  THE  TREATMENT  OF 
TIMBER. 

INTRODUCTORY    NOTE. 

From  the  nature  of  the  business  and  the  varying 
conditions,  few  ironclad  provisions  can  be  fixed.  So 
many  matters  are  the  subject  of  judgment  derived 
from  extended  experience  and  the  varying  character 
of  timbers  in  the  various  sections  of  our  country 
that,  aside  from  a  few  plain  rules,  suggestions  only 
can  be  dealt  with. 

Then,  again,  only  those  processes  that  have  been 
found  effective  by  the  test  of  time,  and  this  suffi- 
ciently extended  to  give  results  sufficiently  definite  to 
satisfy  the  business  public. 

When  the  following  have  been  named  the  field 
seems  to  be  covered,  at  least  to  date,  to-wit: 

The  Burnett  or  Zinc-Chloride  process. 

The  Wellhouse  or  Zinc-Tannin  process. 

The  Creosote  process. 

And  probably  the  Zinc-Creosote  or  Rutger  process. 

Those  processes  above  noted  are  treated  as  prac- 
ticed twenty  years  ago,  and  such  modifications  as 
have  been  suggested  by  subsequent  experience  will  be 
noticed  in  appended  notes. 

With  regard  to  the  CREOSOTE  process,  the  cost 
of  the  oil  has  heretofore,  and  is  still,  a  bar  to  its 
general  use  for  the  treatment  of  railroad  ties  within 
the  scope  of  economy.  To  overcome  this  two  proc- 
esses are  being  exploited  by  which  a  fair  penetration 
is  secured  by  a  much  restricted  use  of  the  oil,  with 
the  view  to  getting  a  fair  treatment  at  a  much  re- 
duced cost.  The  Rueping  process  seeks  this  end  by 
compressing  the  air  in  the  timber,  and  with  an  in- 
creased pressure  forcing  the  oil  into  the  timber  so 
as  to  permeate  it,  and  then  allowing  the  compressed 
air  to  force  out  a  considerable  portion,  leaving  what 
is  claimed  to  be  a  sufficiency.  The  second,  that  of 
the  Giussani,  seeks  the  same  end  only  by  a  different 
means. 

The  question  whether  this  reduced  amount  will 
give  as  good  or  better  result  than  the  chloride  is  only 

215 


to  be  determined  by  trial  on  the  ground  and  in  the 
track.  The  probabilities  are  such  in  each  case  that 
it  is  well  to  notice  the  matter  in  this  connection. 

SPECIFICATIONS  FOR  BURNETTIZING. 

PROCESS. — This  process  consists  of  impregna- 
tion of  timber  with  a  diluted  solution  of  Chloride 
of  Zinc. 

METHOD  OF  APPLICATION.— This  is  done 
by  introducing  the  timber  into  a  hermetically  closed 
retort,  and  the  impregnation  is  induced  by  steaming, 
drawing  a  vacuum,  and  is  expedited  by  pressure. 

STRENGTH  OF  SOLUTION.— The  strength  of 
the  zinc-chloride  solution  must  be  such  that  is  found 
necessary  to  secure  the  prescribed  amount  per  cubic 
foot  of  timber,  this  amount  haying  been  determined 
by  careful  test  of  the  timber  being  treated. 

ZINC-CHLORIDE,  HOW  MADE.— The  zinc- 
chloride  is  made  by  combining  zinc  spelter  with 
hydrochloric  acid  in  such  proportions  as  will  com- 
bine perfectly,  leaving  no  free  acid.  The  fused  chlor- 
ide now  manufactured  or  a  concentrated  solution 
can  be  used,  both  of  which  are  being  used. 

QUANTITY  REQUIRED.  — The  quantity  of 
chloride  required  per  cubic  foot  should  be  approxi- 
mately one-half  pound  per  cubic  foot  of  timber. 

PURITY.— The  zinc  chloride,  if  made  from  good 
zinc  spelter,  will  be  measurably  pure.  If  fused  should 
contain  not  over  6  per  cent  of  all  impurities  and  not 
over  one-half  of  1  per  cent  of  iron. 

METHOD  OF  IMPREGNATION.— The  material 
to  be  impregnated  is  loaded  on  tram  cars  or  buggies 
and  run  into  a  retort  and  subjected  to: 

1.  Steam   (saturated  and  not  superheated)    filling 
the  retort  and  held  until  the  timber  is  heated  com- 
pletely through  to  the  boiling  point  under  a  steam 
pressure  of  not  exceeding  20  pounds  per  square  inch, 
for  not  less  than  such  time  as  is  found  necessary  to 
bring  the  timber  to  such  temperature  as  above  stated. 

2.  A  vacuum  shall  be  drawn  on  the  charge  to  26 
inches  if  at  or  near  sea  level ;  for  3,500  feet  elevation, 

216 


not  less  than  23  inches,  and  for  7,000  feet,  not  less 
than  20  inches  of  vacuum — said  vacuum  to  be  held 
not  less  than  one-half  hour  after  such  degree  of 
vacuum  shall  have  been  secured. 

3.  Without  releasing  the  vacuum  the  chloride  so- 
lution is  let  in  to  the  retort,  and  when  the  retort  is 
filled  pressure  shall  be  applied  by  means  of  a  force 
pump  until  a  pressure  of  one  hundred  pounds  is 
attained,  and  so  held  until  the  desired  impregnation 
is  secured.  The  retort  is  then  opened  and  the  charge 
removed. 

SPECIFICATIONS    FOR    THE    WELLHOUSE 
OR  ZINC-TANNIN  PROCESS. 

PROCESS.— The  Wellhouse  or  Zinc-Tannin  proc- 
ess consists  in  impregnation  of  the  timber  with  the 
chloride  of  zinc  solution,  essentially  as  in  the  Bur- 
nett process,  with  a  prescribed  amount  of  dissolved 
glue  added,  followed  by  an  application  of  tannic  acid 
in  solution,  by  which  the  glue,  absorbed  with  the 
chloride,  is  neutralized  and  changed  into  a  "leather- 
oid,"  the  two  serving  to  some  degree  as  a  plug  in 
the  pores  of  the  timber  and  as  a  deterrent  to  the 
passage  of  water  into  or  from  the  timber. 

GLUE — Ordinary  glue  of  commerce  is  used,  that 
highest  in  Gelatine  being  preferable.  Such  glue  as 
will  combine  with  about  an  equal  amount  of  tannin 
extract  should  be  selected. 

TANNIC  ACID.— The  extract  of  hemlock  bark  is 
usually  employed,  although  there  seems  to  be  no 
reason  why  other  tannin  extracts  should  not  be 
equally  efficient  The  tannin  extract  containing  from 
25  to  30  per  cent  of  pure  tannic  acid  is  used,  but  if 
lower  in  the  acid,  more  of  the  extract  can  be  used. 

AMOUNT  OF  EACH.— The  glue  and  tannin  to 
be  used  should,  in  the  first  place,  be  proportioned  so 
as  to  combine  completely,  increasing  that  less  strong 
in  the  essential  qualities  in  larger  proportion,  each 
being  made  into  a  solution  by  adding  pure  water, 
the  glue  being  added  to  the  chloride  solution  and 

217 


applied  with  it,  and  the  tannic  solution  being  applied 
after  the  former  solution  is  forced  back.  The  amount 
of  the  glue  and  tannin  should  be  not  less  than  one- 
tenth  of  the  amount  of  pure  chloride  used  (each). 

STRENGTH  OF  SOLUTIONS.— The  strength  of 
the  chloride  of  zinc  solution  should  be  such  that  is 
found  necessary  to  secure  the  absorption  of  the  pre- 
scribed amount  of  pure  chloride  per  cubic  foot  of 
timber,  this  amount  having  been  determined  by  care- 
ful test  of  the  timber  being  treated. 

The  amount  of  glue  should  be  not  less  than  one- 
half  of  1  per  cent  in  weight  of  the  whole  amount  of 
chloride  solution  to  which  it  is  added. 

The  strength  of  the  tannin  soltuion  should  be  one- 
half  of  1  per  cent  in  weight  of  the  whole  contents 
holding  the  tannin  solution. 

TO  MAINTAIN  STRENGTH  OF.— Glue,  unlike 
the  chloride  solution,  is  depleted  by  contact  with  the 
charge,  hence  should  be  reinforced  after  each  expo- 
sure, and  with  the  tannic  acid  it  is  the  same;  hence 
each  should  be  renewed  according  to  the  following 
rule:  "To  the  amount  of  tannin  solution  absorbed 
add  the  amount  of  the  chloride  solution  absorbed, 
and  for  glue  and  tannin  add  one-half  of  i  per  cent 
by  weight  each  to  its  proper  receptacle,  preparatory 
to  the  next  charge  of  timber. 

PROGRAM  OF  OPERATION.— The  Wellhouse 
process  consists  of: 

1.  The   application   of   saturated   steam   under   20 
pounds  per  inch  pressure  until  the  timber  has  been 
heated  to  the  boiling  point  to  the  center,  for  such 
length  of  time  as  is  necessary  to  bring  the  heat  of 
the  timber  to  not  less  than  198  degrees  Fah. 

2.  The  steam  being  released,  a  vacuum  is  produced 
to  26  inches  at  or  near  sea  level,  23  inches  at  an 
elevation  of  3,500  feet,  and  20  inches  at  7,000  feet 
above  sea  level,  all  as  indicated  by  mercurial  gauge, 
and  this  held  for  not  less  than  30  minutes. 

3.  The  vacuum  being  still  held,  the  chloride,  car- 
rying also  the  glue  in  solution,  is  introduced,  com- 
pletely submerging  the  timber  charge,  and  when  the 

218 


retort  is  full,  pressure  is  applied  by  means  of  a  force 
pump  until  100  pounds  per  square  inch  is  attained, 
and  so  held  until  the  desired  or  prescribed  amount 
of  impregnation  is  secured. 

When  the  chloride  solution  is  forced  back  into  its 
proper  receptacle,  the  tannin  solution  is  introduced 
and  pressure  brought  to  bear  to  a  maximum  of  100 
Ibs.  per  square  inch  and  so  held  for  about  one  hour 
and  then  forced  back. 

This  completes  the  operation  and  the  charge  is 
withdrawn. 

APPENDIX. 

NOTE  (A)— Heating  Solution. — Originally  in  the 
Wellhouse  process  no  special  heating  appliances  were 
used.  During  the  steaming  process  the  chloride 
solution  was  heated  to  about  100  degrees  Fah.  and 
maintained  something  like  this  temperature  under 
moderate  climatic  conditions.  Subsequent  experience, 
however,  indicates  that  all  stages  of  the  treatment 
are  facilitated  by  heating  the  solutions  before  or  dur- 
ing application  to  the  timber. 

A  still  further  and  weightier  reason  is  that  the 
combination  of  the  chemicals  are  much  more  com- 
plete. The  appliances  should  therefore  be  adequate 
to  raise  the  temperature  to  140  degrees  Fah.  in  the 
tubs,  this  being  as  hot  as  can  be  pumped,  and  then 
by  means  of  heating  coil  in  the  retort  the  tempera- 
ture should  be  increased  40  degrees  more,  or  to  al- 
most boiling  point. 

NOTE  (B). — Another  modification  of  the  Well- 
house,  or  rather  of  the  zinc-tannin  process,  has  been 
recommended  and  to  some  extent  adopted,  may  be 
here  noted. 

.  THE  THREE  MOVEMENT.— Wherein  the  glue 
is  made  into  a  separate  solution  and  applied  after 
the  timber  has  been  impregnated  with  the  chloride 
of  zinc,  and  then  followed  by  the  tannin  solution. 
Where  timbers  are  very  difficult  to  impregnate  a 
larger  amount  of  the  chloride  may  be  absorbed  than 

219 


with  the  glue  added,  or  at  least  such  is  the  basis  of 
this  modification  of  the  process. 

NOTE  (c). — Another  modification  of  the  above  men- 
tioned process  is  suggested  by  experience,  i.  e.,  that 
of  drawing  a  slight  vacuum  on  finishing  the  impreg- 
nation with  the  chloride  solution,  withdrawing  a 
portion  of  the  chloride  from  the  outside  of  the  tim- 
ber, where  it  is  superabundant,  thus  allowing  a 
greater  penetration  by  the  succeeding  application, 
whether  it  be  glue  or  the  tannin,  as  in  the  first  de- 
scribed Wellhouse  process. 

The  same  will  apply  to  the  Burnett  process,  where 
complaints  have  been  made  of  much  waste  from  th6 
drippings  after  removal  of  the  charge  from  the  re- 
tort. 

NOTE  (D). — As  before  noticed,  the  action  of  the 
chemicals  is  found  to  be  much  accelerated  by  having 
the  solutions  hot,  then  with  the  same  heating  coils 
in  action,  after  forcing  back  the  solution  and  com- 
pletion of  the  operation,  why  not  allow  the  action  to 
continue,  thus  rapidly  drying  the  timber  by  vaporiza- 
tion, which  does  not  affect  or  withdraw  the  chem- 
icals, while  it  does  withdraw  the  water  rapidly. 

It  is  well  that  this  be  tested,  as  the  drying  to  any 
extent,  small  or  great,  tells  in  the  after  handling  of 
the  timber. 

We  discovered  this  fact  in  our  small  laboratory 
plant. 

NOTE  (E). — Another  modification  of  the  Burnett 
process  is  that  of  first  boiling  the  charge  in  the  oil 
without  pressure  for  such  time  as  will  extract  all 
the  saps  or  moisture  from  the  timber,  then  drawing 
out  a  portion  of  the  oil  by  the  vacuum  pump  and 
then  introducing  the  zinc-chloride  and  putting  it 
under  the  usual  pressure  of  100  pounds  per  square 
inch.  This  method  of  preparing  the  timber  (season- 
ing) instead  of  using  steam  seems  to  commend 
itself.  See  post.,  pp.  (223)  Beal  on  Saturated  Steam. 


220 


SPECIFICATIONS  FOR  CREOSOTING. 

PROCESS. — The  creosote  process  is  understood 
to  be  the  impregnation  of  timber  by  the  use  of  the 
heavy  extracts  of  coal  tar,  which  in  turn  is  a  product 
of  coal  distillation  in  the  manufacture  of  illuminating 
gas. 

CREOSOTE  consists  of  all  the  poisonous  by- 
products of  the  coal  distillation,  and  hence  are  de- 
structive to  all  animal  and  vegetable  life,  and  seems 
particularly  adapted  to  the  preservation  of  the  wood 
and  in  no  degree  injurious  to  the  wood  fiber. 

PREPARING  FOR  IMPREGNATION.  —  The 
timber  is  prepared  for  the  reception  of  the  creosote 
oil  first  by  steaming  the  timber,  as  before  described 
in  Burnettizing  and  in  the  Wellhouse  process,  and 
following  with  the  vacuum  and  introducing  the  oil 
while  the  vacuum  is  held. 

PRESSURE.— As  soon  as  the  retort  has  been 
completely  filled,  pressure  to  not  exceed  100  pounds 
per  square  inch  is  applied  and  held  until  the  desired 
or  prescribed  amount  has  been  absorbed. 

HEAT  OF  OIL. — As  the  creosote  oil  hardens  par- 
tially at  a  moderate  temperature  it  must  necessarily 
be  heated,  first  in  the  receptacle  in  which  it  is  stored, 
to  a  degree  that  will  allow  it  to  be  pumped  into  the 
retort  by  the  pressure  pump  by  means  of  heating 
coils  in  the  said  storage  receptacle,  and  then  to  a 
much  higher  degree  after  let  into  the  retort  by  means 
of  further  and  ample  coils  fixed  in  the  retort 

CREOSOTE  STORAGE  TANK.— Owing  to  the 
volatility  of  the  creosote  oil  and  the  tendency  to 
waste,  the  tank  or  receptacle  must  be  of  metal. 
(Steel,)  and  be  covered. 

AMOUNT  OF  OIL  REQUIRED.— In  making 
specifications  as  to  the  amount  of  oil  per  cubic  foot 
of  timber  to  be  required  in  treating,  it  is  usual  to 
require  about  as  follows:  For  railroad  cross-ties, 
10  to  12  pounds ;  for  dimension  timbers,  15  to  20,  and 
for  piles,  20  to  30  or  more  per  cubic  foot  of  timber. 

As  timbers  vary  so  much  in  density  and  absorbent 
powers,  it  would  seem  better  and  to  be  almost  the 

221 


only  practicable  method  to  base  the  requirement  upon 
this  quality  of  the  timber  and  let  it  be  determined 
by  actual  trial.  It  is  well  known  that  the  oil,  espe- 
cially the  heavier  and  more  valuable  portion,  cannot 
be  forced  into  the  timber  to  the  extent  that  is  possi- 
ble with  the  aqueous  solutions  without  undue  pres- 
sure that  will  injure  the  timber  and  result,  after  the 
pressure  is  removed,  in  a  great  waste  of  the  oil. 

CREOSOTING. 

NOTE  (A). — Another  method  of  impregnating  with 
creosote  oil  is  that  of  boiling  the  timber  in  the  retort 
without  pressure  until  the  impregnation  is  complete. 
This  is  covered  with  patent. 

NOTE  (B). — Then,  again,  we  have  the  Giussanni 
process,  the  creosote  being  contained  in  an  unsealed 
vat  of  sufficient  length  (250  feet  or  more)  supplied 
with  heating  coils,  by  which  the  oil  is  maintained 
at  a  high  (boiling)  temperature  and  the  ties  are 
loaded  in  sets  of  four  or  eight  and  carried  through 
the  vat  at  a  very  slow  rate,  allowing  time  enough  to 
drive  off  all  moisture,  and  finally  the  ties  are  plunged 
into  a  vat  of  cold  oil  for  a  few  minutes  and  then 
discharged.  In  the  process  proper  there  is  a  tank 
of  chloride  of  zinc  solution,  interposed  between  the 
hot  immersion  and  the  cold,  the  chloride  solution 
being  cold,  by  which  the  inner  part  of  the  tie  is  im- 
pregnated with  the  chloride.  The  whole  process  is 
carried  through  automatically  from  the  time  the  sets 
of  ties  are  clamped  in  until  they  are  discharged  with 
treatment  completed. 

NOTE  (c). — "The  Rueping  process"  consists  sim- 
ply in  pressing  the  oil  into  the  timber.  It  is  operated 
on  the  principle  that  by  the  application  of  air  pres- 
sure the  air  in  the  timber  is  reduced  to  one-half  of 
its  volume,  then  the  oil  is  let  in  at  that  pressure, 
and  then,  by  means  of  the  force  pump,  the  air  is  still 
further  compressed,  the  oil  forced  into  every  part 
of  the  piece,  then  all  pressure  is  released  and  the 
compressed  air  is  allowed  to  force  a  part  of  the  oil 


222 


out  again,  leaving  the  timber  fiber  coated,  but  retain- 
ing only  about  half  of  the  oil. 

NOTE  (D). — When  charge,  having  been  treated  by 
the  ordinary  process,  comes  from  the  retort,  espe- 
cially if  it  has  been  subjected  to  overpressure,  it  will 
be  all  of  a  drip  with  clinging  and  oozing  oil.  In  such 
case  it  will  be  found  practicable  to  clean  the  surface 
of  oil  and  to  save  much  of  it  by  turning  on  live 
steam  so  as  to  fill  the  retort  and  hold  for  a  few 
minutes.  Not  only  is  there  a  saving  of  oil,  but  the 
condition  of  the  timber  is  much  better  for  handling. 


THE  USE  OF  SATURATED  STEAM. 

The  following  address  of  Mr.  F.  D.  Beal  before 
the  Wood  Preservers'  Association  at  New  Orleans. 
January  18,  is  thought  to  be  worthy  of  reproduc- 
tion in  this  work.  Mr.  Beal  is  superintendent  of  the 
Southern  Pacific  Timber  Treating  Plant,  West  Oak- 
land, Cal.  We  reproduce  it  by  permission  and  com- 
mend the  freedom  with  which  the  matter  is  treated. 
This  shows  that  the  association  is  proving  very  use- 
ful. S.  M.  R. 

Of  late  years  the  demand  for  ties  and  structural 
timber  has  been  so  great  for  immediate  use  that 
manufacturers  are  unable  to  furnish  a  natural  sea- 
soned product.  Therefore  to  a  great  extent  it  is 
necessary  to  season  our  material  artificially  in  order 
to  supply  the  demand  placed  upon  us. 

The  question  arises  as  to  the  best  method  of  sea- 
soning, also  as  to  what  constitutes  the  preliminary 
handling  of  timber  to  prepare  it  for  the  injection  of 
the  preservative  fluid.  A  great  deal  of  discussion  is 
arising  at  the  present  time  concerning  the  season- 
ing of  timber,  as  to  the  best  methods  of  carrying  it 
out,  etc. 

Some  maintain  that  all  timber  should  be  seasoned 
naturally,  and  not  artificially,  in  order  to  secure  the 
best  results,  which  would  mean  only  the  evaporation 
of  water  contained  in  the  wood.  Others  that,  to 
insure  perfect  results,  all  wood  acids  and  resinous 

223 


matters  should  be  extracted,  which  would  necessitate 
the  artificial  treatment  to  prepare  it  for  the  reception 
of  the  preservative  liquid.  Both  sides  are  fortunate 
enough  to  be  able  to  produce  records  covering  the 
best  of  results  in  support  of  their  arguments. 

Characters  and  conditions  of  timber  vary  so  greatly 
that  one  has  to  be  governed  by  the  immediate  sur- 
rounding conditions  and  do  the  best  under  the  cir- 
cumstances. In  the  Burnettizing  process,  when  green 
material  is  used  for  treatment,  it  is  necessary  to 
season  artificially  in  order  to  prepare  it  for  the  in- 
jection of  zinc  solution.  I  found  in  my  experience 
that  the  manner  of  seasoning  had  to  be  varied 
greatly,  according  to  the  character  of  the  timber.  On 
some  classes  of  material  I  advocate  air  seasoning, 
on  others  I  do  not. 

On  the  Pacific  Coast  we  have  a  sap  pine  which 
we  term  "Shasta  sap  pine,"  running  75  to  90  per 
cent  sap  wood.  On  this  class  of  material  I  think  it 
would  be  policy  to  thoroughly  air-season  before 
treatment,  as  this  class  of  material  when  green  con- 
tains a  large  percentage  of  sap  water  and  wood 
liquids,  also  a  large  percentage  of  resinous  pitchy 
matter.  By  air  seasoning  a  large  amount  of  this 
liquid  would  be  eliminated,  which  would  shorten  the 
process  of  treatment  to  a  large  extent. 

But  I  think  the  process  of  seasoning  should  be 
carried  further  after  the  material  has  been  placed  in 
the  cylinder,  if  for  no  other  purpose  than  expelling 
the  air  in  open  cells,  which  would  act  as  a  resisting 
force  against  the  injection  of  the  preserving  fluid. 
This,  of  course,  can  be  accomplished  by  applying 
saturated  steam,  heating  the  timber  thoroughly 
throughout,  forcing  all  air  out  and  any  liquid  matter 
remaining  in  the  wood  which  would  act  as  food  for 
any  destructive  fungi,  also  killing  all  diseases  pecu- 
liar to  tree  life. 

As  to  safe  temperatures,  it  would  be  pretty  hard 
to  set  a  standard  that  would  be  applicable  to  all 
classes  of  material.  Some  woods  can  stand  a  higher 
temperature  than  others  without  materially  affecting 

224 


the  strength  of  the  fiber.  Some  classes  of  material 
which  I  have  had  occasion  to  handle  I  have  carried 
as  high  as  280  degrees  Fahr.  without  affecting  the 
strength  of  the  wood.  On  some  classes  of  material 
this,  possibly,  would  be  pretty  high. 

On  the  Pacific  Coast  we  have  occasion  to  treat 
with  the  Burnettizing  process  a  large  amount  of 
Oregon  red  fir  ties,  which  you  all  know  to  be  a 
firm,  close-grained  wood.  On  this  class  of  material 
we  obtain  much  better  results  by  treating  in  the 
green  state.  In  allowing  these  ties  to  air  season  the 
resinous  matter  becomes  congealed  and  so  hard 
that  we  find  difficulty  in  dissolving  this  matter  in 
order  to  allow  our  solution  to  penetrate  readily.  To 
do  it  the  steaming  has  to  be  carried  to  such  an  ex- 
treme that,  as  a  result,  the  material  is  practically 
burned  up  and  worthless.  We  found  that  we  ob- 
tained much  better  results  by  treating  these  ties 
green,  steaming  them  from  three  to  four  hours, 
and  not  allowing  the  temperature  to  exceed  280  de- 
grees Fahr.,  thus  eliminating  the  resinous  matter 
(which  is  to  a  certain  extent  in  liquid  form  while 
the  wood  is  green)  much  easier  than  if  it  had  been 
allowed  to  harden  by  air  seasoning. 

I  do  not  wish  it  to  be  understood  that  I  believe 
in  steaming  timber  as  the  best  method  of  artificially 
seasoning  it,  but  of  course  in  the  Burnettizing  proc- 
ess, when  zinc  solution  alone  is  used  as  a  preserva- 
tive, steaming  is  about  the  only  way  of  applying  our 
preliminary  treatment  I  believe  that  the  process  of 
using  saturated  steam  as  a  means  of  seasoning  tim- 
ber, so  universally  carried  out  in  this  country,  can 
be  improved  greatly  by  using  other  methods.  Al- 
though good  results  are  being  obtained  by  using  the 
steaming  process,  especially  on  the  more  open- 
grained,  spongy  woods,  yet  in  ^  treating  the  more 
denser  woods,  such  as  Oregon  pine,  red  fir,  etc.,  the 
steaming  proposition  has  proven  to  be  a  complete 
failure  when  it  is  applied  to  large  dimension  timber 
and  piling  in  the  creosoting  process.  On  account  of 
having  to  be  carried  to  such  an  extreme,  in  order  to 

225 


thoroughly  sterilize  and  remove  the  sap,  moisture 
and  other  destructive  matter  in  the  wood,  the 
strength  of  the  material  was  so  reduced  that  it  was 
practically  worthless. 

There  are  a  great  many  concerns  using  the  steam- 
ing and  vacuum  process  on  these  denser  woods  by 
using  a  limited  amount  of  steam  and  then  injecting 
the  preservative.  When  applied  in  this  manner  good 
lasting  results  will  never  be  obtained,  for  the  mois- 
ture and  destructive  agents  contained  in  the  wood 
have  not  been  removed,  and  the  consequence  is  that 
the  center  of  the  material  decays,  leaving  an  outer 
shell  of  treated  wood,  the  thickness  of  the  depth  to 
which  creosote  oil  or  other  preservative  liquid  has 
penetrated. 

It  has  been  found  by  long  experience  in  treating 
these  denser  woods  that  most  perfect  results  are 
obtained  by  carrying  on  seasoning  similar  to  Boul- 
ton's  method  of  boiling  the  timber  or  piling  in  creo- 
sote oil,  an  improvement  being  made  in  the  process 
by  cutting  out  the  operation  of  a  vacuum  pump  and 
simply  allowing  the  vapor  to  come  off  of  its  own 
accord,  discharging  into  a  surface  condenser,  through 
which  cold  water  is  circulated,  thus  creating  its  own 
vacuum  by  the  elimination  of  sap  and  moisture  con- 
tained in  the  timber. 

In  this  manner,  by  carrying  a  low  temperature,  say 
212  to  220  degrees  Fahr.,  all  the  moisture  can  be 
extracted,  the  wood  thoroughly  sterilized  throughout, 
and,  one  of  the  most  important  features  of  all,  the 
exact  dryness  of  the  material  can  be  ascertained  by 
the  amount  of  condensation  collected  in  the  hot  well 
of  the  condenser,  as  all  condensation  collected  rep- 
resents moisture  from  the  wood  alone,  and  is  not 
mixed  with  condensed  steam,  which  would  be  the 
case  when  saturated  steam  was  used  in  seasoning. 

Seasoning  timber  in  this  manner  has  proven  to  be 
the  most  satisfactory  method  in  existence,  on  account 
of  its  being  applicable  to  any  class  of  material  with 
the  best  results,  which  cannot  be  said  of  saturated 
or  superheated  steam  directly  applied.  It  is  the 

226 


most  effective  way  of  applying  the  heat,  and  you  can 
accomplish  the  result  with  low  temperatures,  thus 
eliminating  the  possibility  of  injuring  the  wood  fiber 
in  any  way  by  subjecting  it  to  intense  heat,  which 
would  be  necessary  were  the  seasoning  carried  out 
by  steaming. 

The  length  of  time  required  is  no  greater  than 
when  treating  with  a  steaming  process,  and  on  some 
classes  of  material  the  time  of  treatment  runs  con- 
siderably less.  There  is  one  important  feature  in 
connection  with  seasoning  timber  in  the  above  man- 
ner; in  instances  when  close-grained,  firm,  hard 
woods  are  what  we  term  "water  seasoned" — that  is, 
the  natural  sap  and  moisture  has  been  displaced  by 
water  absorbed  on  account  of  piling  lying  in  the 
water  in  rafts  for  a  long  period.  Ordinarily  it  takes 
a  long  time  to  extract  this  water,  especially  when 
piles  run  in  large  diameters.  I  have  treated  some 
of  this  class  of  material  when  the  time  of  extracting 
the  water  alone  was  75  hours  on  a  single  charge. 
After  remaining  in  this  condition  for  so  long  a 
time,  one  would  naturally  suppose  that  the  life  would 
be  taken  completely  out  of  the  wood,  but  quite  to 
the  contrary  is  the  case.  The  piles  come  out  in  per- 
fect condition,  with  hardly  a  sign  of  checking  or 
crackinsr  in  any  manner,  and  with  nearly  as  much 
life  and  elasticity  in  the  wood  before  treatment. 

I  firmly  believe  that  instead  of  steaming  our  pine 
ties  to  season  them  we  should  give  them  a  bath  in 
creosote  oil,  maintaining  the  temperature  above  the 
boiling  point  of  water  for  the  length  of  time  neces- 
sary to  extract  the  sap  and  other  injurious  ingre- 
dients, and  then  inject  our  zinc  solution,  we  would 
have  a  far  superior  product,  besides  having  an  oily 
coating  on  the  exterior  of  the  tie  to  turn  the  mois- 
ture and  prevent  to  a  certain  extent  the  leaching  of 
soluble  salts. 


227 


AS  TO  PROCESS  AND  AGENTS.* 

Perhaps  one  of  the  most  important  questions  to 
be  considered  is  the  process  you  will  decide  to  use. 
The  whole  trend  of  opinion  seems  now  to  be  that 
only  creosote  or  some  modification  of  that  agent, 
combined  with  other  known  preservatives,  can  be 
considered.  With  this  view  I  concur  as  to  effective- 
ness, but  it  must  always  be  held  in  mind  that  to 
the  extent  that  creosote  is  used  there  has  to  be  the 
added  cost  of  the  creosote  at  the  rate  of  three-quarters 
of  a  cent  per  pound,  or  nearly  this  over  and  above 
any  mineral  salt  that  may  be  used  in  combination 
with  the  oil. 

For  a  tie  impregnation  with  12  pounds  of  oil,  9 
cents  per  cubic  foot,  or  27  cents  per  average  cross- 
tie,  is  added  to  the  other  items  of  cost.  Were  this 
alone  to  be  considered,  35  cents  instead  of  12  cents 
(cost  of  zinc-tannin),  it  might  be  borne,  but  it  is 
only  inferior  timber  that  will  take  this  much  with- 
out applying  UNDUE  PRESSURE  which  INJURES 
the  texture  of  the  wood,  in  which  case  the  excess 
of  oil  will  flow  out  again  and  be  wasted,  although 
technically  the  prescribed  amount  has  been  injected. 
Then,  again,  this  same  timber  is  scarcely  ever  pene- 
trated throughout  half  of  its  volume,  it  being  im- 
possible, for  well-established  physical  reasons,  to 
penetrate  the  piece  to  the  center,  unless  it  be  the 
very  poorest  and  most  porous  timber  (say  Loblolly 
pine)  over  dried.  Good,  well  grown  timber  of  the 
better  grade  will  not  take  15  pounds  to  the  cubic 
foot  except  by  OVER-PRESSURE. 

Some  process  that  combines  the  oil  with  the  more 
easily  injected  chloride  of  zinc,  the  oil  acting  after- 
ward to  protect  the  zinc,  would  seem  to  be  in  the 
direction  of  a  better  result  than  with  the  zinc  chloride 
alone. 

Among  all  the  suggestions  that  of  Mr.  Beal,  man- 
ager of  the  Southern  Railway  Timber  Treating 

^Extract  from  report,  August,  1905. 

228 


plant,  seems  to  be  the  most  feasible — namely,  to  boil 
the  timber  in  the  creosote  oil  until  the  water  (mois- 
ture) is  expelled,  then  fill  it  with  chloride  of  zinc. 
This  method  has  not,  so  far  as  I  know,  been  tested 
for  a  series  of  years,  yet  ^  it  is  in  line  of  common 
sense  and  is  worthy  of  trial.  Much  more  so  than 
most  of  the  new  processes  now  being  forced  into 
public  notice  in  advance  of  the  TEST  OF  TIME. 

The  penetration  is  slight,  but  it  has  the  advantage 
of  small  expense  of  the  oil,  and  as  a  more  or  less 
retarder  of  the  absorption  of  water  and  a  protection 
of  the  chloride  of  zinc,  which  will  easily  penetrate 
the  coating  of  oil  and  fill  the  whole  area  of  the  piece. 

The  Rutger  or  zinc-creosote  process  is  quite  well 
authenticated  and  may  well  be  used  in  the  treatment 
of  both  ties  and  timber. 

The  process  known  as  the  "Allcrdyce,"  in  which 
the  timber  is  subjective  to  the  zinc-chloride  first  and 
then  subjected  to  the  oil  under  pressure,  I  do  not 
think  can  be  of  much  value,  as  very  little  oil  can 
be  forced  in,  and  that  only  the  lightest  and  least 
valuable  portion  of  the  oil. 

Several  other  processes  are  being  promoted  indus- 
trially, among  which  the  "Rueping"  and  the  "'Gius- 
sani,"  the  latter  an  old  one  revised.  If  (as  seems 
well  authenticated)  the  high  pressure  used  injures 
the  fiber  and  solidity  of  the  wood,  then  there  is  one 
insuperable  objection  to  it,  as  from  220  to  230  pounds 
of  pressure  is  used  in  the  Rueping  process.  (See  note 
page  233.) 

In  the  practice  of  impregnating  with  chloride  after 
steaming  and  the  vacuum,  as  with  the  Burnett,  zinc- 
tannin  or  the  plain  creosote  oil,  the  rule  has  been 
well  established  that  100  pounds,  or  even  less,  will 
impregnate  as  well  and  as  completely  as  a  higher 
pressure,  while  a  much  higher  pressure  will  separate 
the  fiber  and  check  the  timber. 

Let  us  look  at  the  matter  from  another  stand- 
point. If  we  subject  any  timber  to  immersion  in 
clean  water,  we  find  that  the  water  is  absorbed  first 
quite  rapidly,  and  then  more  slowly.  The  very  open 

229 


wood,  when  well  dried  before  immersion,  will  cease 
to  take  any  at  the  end  of  about  sixty  days  and  will 
not  exceed  55  per  cent  of  the  volume  of  the  timber, 
and  the  more  compact  will  take  less,  until  the  most 
compact  will  take  but  15  to  20  per  cent;  the  mean 
of  some  fifty  different  specimens  will  be  less  than 
30  per  cent.  When  fully  impregnated  by  natural 
capillary  absorption,  all  the  voids  are  presumed  to 
have  been  filled  and  have  become  water-logged. 

In  creosoting  sound  piles  or  timber  only  about 
one-half  of  the  volume  is  reached,  and  the  voids  of 
one-half  of  each  cubic  foot  would  not  be  more  than 
15  per  cent,  or  259.2  cubic  inches,  while  15  pounds 
of  creosote  would  be  about  equal  to  two  gallons  or 
some  460  cubic  inches,  or  44  per  cent  greater  than 
the  voids  in  the  timber.  Anything  in  excess  of  this 
will  be  injected  by  over  pressure  and  will  gradually 
ooze  out  and  be  lost. 

In  the  matter  of  treating  piling  there  is  no  ques- 
tion that  the  injection  of  creosote  oil  in  the  greatest 
practicable  quantity  is  the  true  policy,  but  in  doing 
so  its  absorption  should  be  induced  rather  than 
forced,  which  if  handled  intelligently  will  be  equally 
effective.  An  ironclad  specification  as  to  quantity, 
if  made  at  all,  should  conform  to  good  judgment, 
taking  into  consideration  the  above  facts. 

I  have  gone  into  this  phase  of  the  matter  more 
fully  in  consequence  of  many  misleading  theories 
and  statements  that  have  been  current  tending  to 
throw  discredit  on  well  attested  results  of  the  less 
costly  and  more  economical  methods  of  treatments. 
B  COST  OF  VARIOUS  PROCESSES. 

Taking  the  actual  cost  of  the  zinc-tannin  process 
at  four  of  the  standard  works  in  the  United  States 
as  a  basis,  we  have  for  a  3  cubic  foot  tie : 

Chemicals    7.81  cents 

Labor   4.61  cents 


Making  total  net  cost 12.42  cents 

L  3^4  cubic  f 
$3.45  per  M.  B.  M. 


For  a  3^4  cubic  foot,  this  is  equal  to  15.26  cents — 


230 


In  like  manner  the  Rueping  process  would  be,  with 
5  pounds  per  cubic  foot,  at  ^  cents  per  pound  for 
oil,  for  a  3  cubic  foot  tie,  15.85  cents,  and  for  a  3^4 
cubic  foot  tie,  1978  cents— $4.40  per  M.  B.  M. 

The  zinc  creosote  would  be  two  or  three  cents 
more,  as  in  addition  to  the  5  pounds  of  oil  there 
would  be  about  \l/2  pounds  of  chloride. 

For  full  creosote  with  15  pounds  of  oil  per  cubic 
foot  a  3  cubic  foot  tie  would  cost  38.36  cents,  and 
the  3^4  cubic  foot,  47.95  cents— $10.66  per  M.  B.  M. 

The  Ruetger  or  zinc  creosote  has  the  advantage 
that  the  partial  impregnation  by  the  creosote  is  sup- 
plemented by  the  half-pound  of  chloride,  which  does 
completely  permeate  the  timber.  This  is  especially 
true  with  regard  to  dimension  timber,  such  as  bridge 
stringers  and  caps,  and  only  less  so  with  piles.  I  do 
not  know  what,  if  any,  change  there  may  be  as 
royalty  on  the  zinc-creosote  process,  but  its  records 
in  the  past  and  the  character  of  the  operation  seem 
to  demand  that  it  be  considered. 

In  conclusion  I  would  earnestly  advise  that  in  in- 
stalling works  that  it  be  made  to  cover  each  and  all 
of  the  most  tried  methods.  The  zinc-tannin,  the 
zinc-creosote,  the  Rueping  and  the  straight  creosote 
all  require  much  the  same  layout,  and  when  the 
latter  is  provided  for,  very  slight  additional  cost  will 
cover  all  the  others. 


TO  THE  WESTERN  SOCIETY  OF  ENGI- 
NEERS* 

It  has  been  a  work  requiring  much  attention  on 
the  part  of  the  managers  of  the  Santa  Fe  Company 
to  get  the  record,  so  far  as  to  actual  results,  as  to 
the  effect  of  chemical  treatment  of  their  cross-ties. 

The  records  are  not  as  complete  as  could  be  de- 
sired, but  are  so  carefully  kept,  so  far  as  kept  at 
all,  that  we  should  not  complain.  These  records  are 

*Report  to  W.  S.  C  E.,  Chicago,  March  30,  1905. 

231 


perhaps  of  more  value  than  most  that  have  been 
kept,  on  account  of  the  large  number  treated  and 
the  extended  time  covered.  It  is  here  undertaken 
to  restore  approximately  the  lapse  of  record  of  tie 
removals  during  the  first  twelve  years,  and  the 
method  it  is  thought  can  hardly  be  questioned.  The 
result  is  conservative  at  least,  and  within  the  proba- 
bilities. 

This  statement  is  now  offered  for  the  purpose  of 
showing  in  a  concise  form  the  facts  in  relation  to 
results  of  the  Wellhouse,  or  zinc-tannin,  process  for 
treatment  of  railroad  cross-ties  on  the  A.,  T.  &  S.  F. 
R.  R.  The  timber  treated  was  the  Rocky  Mountain 
pine  of  Colorado,  New  Mexico  and  Arizona,  with  a 
slight  sprinkling  of  pinon.  The  treatment  was  com- 
menced in  1885  under  the  supervision  of  the  writer. 
Reports  were  furnished  by  the  courtesy  of  the  various 
officers  of  the  railroad  company,  from  which  these 
tables  are  compiled. 

Unfortunately  no  records  of  removals  were  kept 
until  1897,  twelve  years  after  the  treating  was  com- 
menced. In  compiling  the  accompanying  tables  the 
probable  removals  are  sought  to  be  estimated  by 
using  the  overage  removals  for  the  subsequent  years. 
For  instance,  the  diagonal  for  the  first  year,  "d"  to 
"c,"  added  together  and  divided  by  the  number  of 
years  gives  the  average^  of  the  eight  years  from  1897 
to  1904,  inclusive,  giving  one-hundredth  of  1  per 
cent,  the  second  year  four-hundredths,  the  third  year 
one-tenth  of  1  per  cent,  and  so  on,  so  that  in  the 
fifth  year  only  one  and  two-tenths  per  cent  have  been 
removed.  This  is  less  than  are  destroyed  by  acci- 
dent outside  of  that  of  decay.  It  is  then  fair  to  say 
that  practically  none  fail  until  the  sixth  year.  The 
same  class  of  ties  untreated  were  exhausted  to  nearly 
75  per  cent  in  the  sixth  year,  many  failing  at  third 
year.  Tables  1  and  2  are  approximately  correct, 
being  compiled  from,  in  some  cases,  fragmentary 
but  still  full  enough  reports  to  give  a  sufficiently 
close  approximation  for  all  practical  purposes. 
Through  President  E.  P.  Ripley,  General  Manager 


H.  U.  Mudge  and  Timber  Agent  E.  O.  Faulkner 
the  annual  reports  have  been  furnished,  so  that  most 
of  the  data  is  correct.  Table  1  gives  the  percentage 
and  table  2  the  number  of  ties.  This  rate  per  year, 
as  deduced  from  the  later  eight  years,  proves  too 
high  in  the  case  of  the  1885  ties  by  about  25  per  cent, 
as  those  treated  in  that  year  ^  sufficiently  exhaust  the 
number  treated.  To  determine  this  quite  definitely 
the  percentage  and  the  number  also  for  the  unre- 
ported  years  are  correspondingly  reduced.  With  sub- 
sequent years  this  reduction  can  only  be  done  when 
they  also  approach  exhaustion. 

The  present  condition,  however,  enables  us  to 
further  judge  as  to  the  probable  mean  life  of  those 
treated  ties. 

As  none  of  the  treated  ties  come  out  before  the 
sixth  year,  we  will  take  the  ties  treated  in  1885  and 
1899,  inclusive,  numbering  4,567,588,  rejecting  all 
those  treated  subsequently;  1,283,552  have  been  re- 
moved. That  is  less  than  30  per  cent  at  mean  life 
of  nine  years.  Of  the  11,091,774  ties  treated  up  to 
and  including  1904,  less  than  12  per  cent  were  re- 
moved. No  reflections  are  intended,  but  in  justice  to 
the  railroad  company  and  to  the  Wellhouse  process 
due  credit  should  be  given.  A  limited  number  of 
these  ties  were  treated  by  the  Burnett  process  in 
1890,  1891  and  1892,  but  not  enough  to  furnish  defi- 
nite data  to  make  a  comparison  between  that  and 
the  zinc-tannin.  Perhaps  when  these  approach  ex- 
haustion this  may  be  done. 

Since  the  matter  of  page  229  in  relation  to  the 
Rueping  process  as  to  the  pressure  required  to  inpreg- 
nate  the  timber,  the  Author  has  been  able  to  investi- 
gate the  operation  and  finds  that  most  of  the  softer 
timbers  are  successfully  impregnated  with  a  maximum 
pressure  of  not  to  exceed  one  hundred  and  thirty 
pounds.  Hence  this  process  can  be  carried  out  in 
any  of  the  plants  now  operating  on  the  Burnett  or  the 
zinc  tannin  processes. 


233 


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238 


SUMMARY    OF    THE    TIMBER    PRESERVA- 
TION AT  THIS  DATE.     (1905.) 

In  this  country,  the  treatment  of  railroad  ties  and 
timber  only  dates  back  twenty  years  with  a  few  ex- 
ception efforts  in  a  tentative  way  and  in  but  limited 
quantities. 

The  chloride  of  zinc  and  creosote  (dead  oil  of  coal 
tar),  taking  the  lead  as  the  agents,  the  former  owing 
to  the  cost  coming  within  the  limit  of  economy  has  so 
far  outstripped  the  use  of  the  former  that  to-day 
scarcely  one  great  railroad  can  be  found  using  creo- 
soted  ties  systematically.  On  the  other  hand,  ten  or 
twelve  of  the  largest  railroad  systems  are  fast  filling 
their  tracks  with  treated  ties  almost  to  the  exclusion 
of  untreated.  These  railroads  are  using  either  the 
Burnett,  the  simple  chloride  of  zinc  process  or  a 
modification,  in  which  glue  and  tannin  are  employed 
as  a  retardent  to  help  to  conserve  and  to  prevent  in 
some  degree  the  waste  of  the  chloride  by  leaching. 

Mr.  E.  O.  Faulkner,  of  the  Santa  Fe,  estimates  that 
up  to  last  year,  near  14,000,000  ties  had  been  treated 
and  placed  in  track  in  the  United  States  up  to  and  in- 
cluding 1904,  which  is  probably  a  conservative  esti- 
mate. While  this  is  but  a  small  proportion  of  all  ties 
in  use,  only  about  two  and  one-third  per  cent,  even  if 
all  the  treated  ties  were  still  in,  probably  about  one- 
third  of  these  have  been  removed  in  the  case  of  the 
earlier  years. 

The  records  are  not  as  perfect  and  complete  as 
could  be  desired  but  even  in  the  face  of  imperfect 
records  and  with  indications  of  imperfect  treatment 
as  a  possible  element,  the  zinc  chloride  has  shown  a 
great  economy  in  the  maintenance  of  the  roadway. 

The  summing  up  will  undoubtedly  closely  parallel 
the  estimate  given  in  Hausser  of  the  Midi  Railway 
in  his  report  to  the  Seventh  Session  of  the  Railway 
Congress,  summing  up  the  results  in  France,  to-wit : 

"Although  it  is  very  difficult  to  give  a  rule  at  all 
generally  applicable,  it  may  however  be  said  that 
there  is  a  unanimous  opinion  that  pickling  materially 

239 


increases  the  life  of  sleepers;  approximately  the  life 
is  doubled  in  the  case  of  oak  sleepers,  tripled  in  that 
of  pine  and  quintupled  (?)  in  that  of  beech." 

The  interrogation  point  is  interpolated  as  the  as  to 
quintuple,  for  the  beech  may  be  too  high  for  this 
country.  We  know  that  with  the  hard  maple  (sugar 
tree),  that  the  sugary  saps  cause  incipient  decay  to 
proceed  rapidly  from  the  moment  the  tree  is  cut  and 
the  same  may  be  true  of  the  beech. 

Creosote,  where  full  impregnation  can  be  had,  has 
almost  invariably  proved  effective  in  prolonging  life 
of  the  timber  and  in  certain  lines  has  been  resorted 
to  where  prolonged  life  was  very  essential,  notwith- 
standing the  excessive  cost. 

Two  new  processes  are  being  experimented  upon 
recently  to  impregnate  using  less  of  the  oil  so  as  to 
bring  the  cost  down  to  the  line  of  economy. 

The  "Rueping"  process  does  this  by  simple  pres- 
sure, the  timber  to  be  well  dried  before  treating.  The 
"Giussani"  process  reaches  much  the  same  result  by 
boiling  in  oil  and  suddenly  cooling  the  timber  by 
plunging  into  a  cold  oil  or  solution,  trusting  to  natural 
laws  to  complete  the  impregnation.  By  either  of 
these  an  impregnation  to  the  amount  of  4  to  5  Ibs.  of 
oil  is  forced  in. 

This  of  course  will  cheapen  the  treatment  but  only 
the  lapse  of  considerable  time  will  demonstrate  the 
degree  of  success. 

Whether  it  is  wise  to  go  largely  into  experiments 
of  this  kind  is  for  each  party  interested  to  say  for 
themselves. 

The  records  of  the  chloride  treatments  has  been 
scanned  carefully  in  the  last  few  years  and  thus  far 
we  have  little  reason  to  believe  that  we  in  this  coun- 
try are  behind  the  old  country  either  in  method  or  in 
results. 

The  "  Rutger"  or  zinc-creosote  process  seeks  the 
same  result  with  a  small  additional  cost,  that  of  the 
three  to  five  pounds  of  the  creosote  oil.  (Editor.) 

Chicago,  Oct.  12th,  1905. 

240 


CREOSOTE. 

With  reference  to  where  and  how  creosote  oil  or 
dead  oil  of  coal  tar  is  produced,  the  following  extract 
is  taken  from  a  report  made  to  the  7th  Engineering 
Congress  held  in  Paris  in  1900,  by  Mr.  Hausser,  Chief 
Engineer  Permanent  Way,  of  the  French  Sidi  Rail- 
way, to-wit: 

"In  the  case  of  Creosote,  the  specifications  vary  to 
a  greater  extent  (than  with  the  chloride  or  the  cupric 
sulphate)  as  the  substance  itself  varies,  according  to 
its  origin. 

Most  organic  substances,  if  ignited  in  the  absence 
of  air,  give  volatile  hydrocarbons  (acetylene,  ethylene, 
etc.),  benzine,  etc.,  and  finally  liquid  and  solid  hydro- 
carbons (naphthaline,  anthracene,  etc.) 

When  ordinary  coal  is  distilled,  the  volatile  hydro- 
carbons form  coal  gas,  and  the  liquid  and  solid  hydro- 
carbons go  to  the  tar. 

The  tar  on  distillation  gives  hydrocarbons  and  the 
bodies  containing  oxygen.  In  the  distillation  two 
phases  are  to  be  distinguished. 

At  first,  below  200  deg.  C.  (392  Fahr.),  light  oils  dis- 
till over,  they  consist  chiefly  of  hydrocarbons  and  of 
phenols. 

Subsequently,  between  200  and  300  C.  (392  and  572 
Fahr.),  heavy  oils  come  over;  they  contain  phenols 
and  are  also  rich  in  naphthaline  (c  10  H.  8). 

Phenols  differ  from  naphthaline  in  containing  oxy- 
gen. Generally  speaking  the  .phenols  may  be  con- 
sidered as  alcohols  capable  of  forming  ethers  with 
acids;  but  with  sodium  or  potassium  they  form  a  car- 
bolate. 

It  is  true  that  the  latter  are  not  very  stable,  but  this 
reaction  shows  that  the  phenols  resemble  acids. 
Hence  phenol  is  sometimes  called  carbolic  acid  (C. 
6  H.  5  OH) 

Hence  creosote  is  a  mixture  of  light  and  heavy  tar 
oils  and  in  order  that  it  may  act  as  a  preservative  of 
timber  it  should  consist  chiefly  of  heavy  oils. 

What  the  relative  value  of  phenols  and  its  homo- 
logues  and  naphthaline  are  as  preservative  agents 

241 


does  not  appear  from  the  varying  rules  made  by  the 
different  managements. 

The  Danish  State  Railway  specifies  that  from  20  to 
25  per  cent  of  the  creosote  must  be  soluble  in  costic 
soda  and  that  there  must  be  as  little  naphthaline  as 
possible  present.  On  the  other  hand  the  French 
Western  Railway  thinks  that  a  good  creosote  should 
be  rich  in  naphthaline  and  often  increases  its  per- 
centage by  adding  heavy  oil. 

Creosote  containing  much  naphthaline  has  the  dis- 
advantage that  is  more  viscous  and  requires  to  be 
hotter  in  order  to  be  properly  injected  into  the  wood. 
Then  also  naphthaline  has  a  pretty  considerable 
vapor  tension  even  at  ordinary  temperature  and 
therefore  volatilises  easily;  hence  it  may  be  feared 
that  it  would  disappear  pretty  quickly  from  any 
pickled  wood. 

The  usefulness  of  phenol  has  never  been  disputed, 
and  nearly  all  the  specifications  lay  down  a  minimum 
percentage  of  phenol;  in  no  case  less  than  5  per 
cent. 

In  many  cases  the  managements  specify  the  qual- 
ity of  creosote  by  laying  down  the  percentages  pass- 
ing over  when  fractionally  distilled  (at  150,  200  and 
250  deg.  C.  (302,  392,  and  482  Fahr.) 

This  is  a  useful  rule,  but  an  indefinite  one,  as  the 
results  obtained  vary  with  the  nature  of  the  coal  used 
and  the  way  which  it  has  been  treated. 

The  two  principal  sources  of  coal  tar  are  in  the 
manufacture  of  coal*  gas  and  in  that  of  coke  for  met- 
alurgical  purposes.  The  tar  at  the  gas  works  is  pro- 
duced at  a  high  temperature,  the  coal  being  subject 
to  quick  destructive  distillation;  it  generally  contains 
much  naphthaline  and  heavy  product. 

The  tar  in  coke-burning  operations  is  obtained  at 
lower  temperature  and  the  distillation  is  a  much 
slower  one  ;  it  contains  less  naphthaline  and  more 
carbolic  acid." 

ANALYSIS  OF  DEAD  OIL  OF  COAL  TAR. 

At  date  of  writing  (1905),  there  seems  to  be  much 
diversity  of  opinion  as  to  the  method  of  determining 

242 


the  value  of  this  oil  largely  in  consequence  of  the  di- 
versity of  the  coals  used  from  which  it  results  as  a 
residue  or  by-product,  and  also  but  little  satisfying 
knowledge  as  to  what  of  its  various  constituents  is 
due  its  value  as  a  preservative.  It  would  seem  that 
some  method  of  separating  the  various  constituents 
of  the  oil  in  such  quantities  as  would  allow  the  appli- 
cation of  each  in  varied  quantities  and  to  different 
samples  of  timber  and  then  exposing  the  samples  to 
the  attack  of  the  teredo  or  to  the  white  ant,  both  very 
destructive  to  the  timber,  would  be  of  much  value  in 
the  desired  direction.  Exposure  to  the  elements  as 
in  railroad  cross  ties  or  bridge  timber  requires  too 
long  time  to  recommend  itself  but  would  be  valuable 
in  the  course  of  years. 

Whether  it  is  practicable  to  separate  the  constitu- 
ents of  the  oil  by  distillation  or  by  some  more  com- 
plicated chemical  process  is  a  question  that  is  sug- 
gested to  be  answered  by  experts. 

At  this  time  such  knowledge  is  of  the  first  import- 
ance and  it  would  seem  necessary  that  it  should  be 
determined  before  much  progress  can  be  made  in  the 
application  of  this  oil  to  timber  preservation  under- 
standingly.  If  it  should  be  proven  that  some  of  the 
constituents  are  of  no  value  as  a  preservative  ane 
still  should  be  of  value  for  other  purposes,  therd 
would  be  a  distinct  gain  from  a  knowledge  of  this 
fact.  (The  Author.) 


TIMBER    TREATING    AND    TESTING 
LABORATORY. 

The  establishment  of  a  testing  laboratory  for  the 
investigation  of  principles  involved  in  the  practical 
treating  of  timber  by  the  Bureau  of  Forestry  will 
meet  another  line  of  inquiry  heretofore  but  imper- 
fectly provided  for. 

Even  among  those  most  experienced  in  the  matter 
it  often  occurs  that  differences  arise  in  the  interpre- 
tation of  the  nature  of  the  physical  agencies  involved. 
It  is  important  that  each  and  every  one  of  these 
should  be  carefully  and  systematically  studied  and 
that  authorative  conclusions  be  arrived  at,  the  same 
as  is  done  in  other  lines  of  inquiry.  In  addition  to 
this,  all  agents  for  the  chemical  treatment  of  timber, 
both  known  and  such  as  may  hereafter  be  suggested 
from  time  to  time  should  be  treated  in  the  same 
manner,  carefully  and  exhaustively. 

To  enable  this  to  be  done,  provisions  should  be 
made  to  cover  every  possible  phase  by  the  most  per- 
fect appliances  and  machinery  with  the  widest  scope 
of  functions  for  experimental  treating  and  for  the 
study  and  analysis  of  the  agents  used. 

The  preservation  of  timber  is  one  of  the  most  im- 
portant measures  toward  the  conservation  of  the 
forests  of  this  country  as  it  applies  directly  to  one  of 
the  heaviest  drafts  on  the  timber  supply,  that  of 
cross-ties  and  bridge  timber  for  railroads.  Treated 
as  here  proposed,  it  certainly  is  a  proper  line  of  in- 
vestigation by  the  department  and  must  result  in 
great  benefit  to  all  concerned  and  to  the  country,  at 
large.  Heretofore,  in  applying  to  chemists  for  aid  in 
the  study  of  the  chemical  agents,  the  lack  of  a 
thorough  understanding  of  the  methods  of  application, 
has  been  a  distinct  embarrassment.  The  treatment 
and  study  of  the  chemical  agents  should  go  together, 
the  most  intimate  relations  being  maintained  between 
the  operator  and  the  chemist  so  that  each  shall  co- 
operate having  a  thorough  understanding  of  both 
parts  of  the  investigation. 

244 


The  practical  operator  of  the  day,  may  be  able  to 
carry  out  the  various  functions  accurately  and  with 
skill  while  he  may  know  little  of  the  nature  of  the 
chemicals;  on  the  other  hand  the  chemist  cannot  fully 
comprehend  the  relation  of  the  chemical  agent  to  the 
practical  handling  of  the  appliances  during  the  pro- 
cess unless  he  understands  the  practical  workings. 

When,  as  here  proposed,  the  two  lines  of  inquiry 
are  carried  forward  jointly,  the  result  should  be  defi- 
nitely valuable  if  followed  by  a  systematic  study  of 
the  result  on  the  timber  by  subjecting  it  to  the  action 
of  the  elements,  both  in  use  on  some  convenient 
track  under  heavy  traffic  and  under  such  forced  tests 
as  are  practicable  at  the  laboratory. 

Intimately  connected  with  this  investigation  is  the 
matter  of  record  of  state  of  the  treated  timber  from 
time  to  time  during  coming  years,  in  which  the  pro- 
gress of  decay  is  noted. 

It  would  be  of  sufficient  importance,  too,  in  this  con- 
nection to  have  untreated  timber  laid  at  the  same 
time,  as  thus  one  important  element  in  the  inquiry 
would  be  determined,  that  of  relative  life  by  which 
the  value  of  any  treatment  can  be  determined. 
There  is  little  definite  knowledge  as  to  this  at  this 
time,  authorities  differing  widely. 

Chicago,  Oct.  24th,  1905.  (R.) 

Some  orignal  studies  relating  to  laboratory  plant 
are  here  introduced  so  as  to  preserve  this  record. 


245 


RETORT    No.  2    STUDY. 
246 


B 
tf 


H 

I 


RETORT    No.  1    STUDY. 
249 


DOOR    RETORT    No.  1. 
250 


STUDY    OF    CAR    FOR    RETORT    No.  2. 


251 


I 

I  H« 

*                     -1  « 

u 

H 

FOSTER    SUPERSTRUCTURE. 

252 


CIRCULATOR    FOR    THERMOMETER,    TO    SECURE 
AVERAGE    TEMPERATURE. 

253 


BETOKT    Ko.  3. 


SPECIFICATIONS   FOR   THE   TREATMENT 
OF  TIMBER 

On  page  215  ante  the  author  has  called  attention 
to  the  fact  that  owing  to  the  wide  range  in  the 
character  of  the  timber  desired  to  be  treated,  no 
special  rule  as  to  the  quantity  to  be  injected  can 
be  fixed  upon.  The  common  practice  has  been  to 
fix  the  amount  per  tie  or  cubic  foot  of  timber,  where 
contracts  are  being  made  between  a  railroad  com- 
pany and  a  private  company  who  contract  to  treat 
the  ties. 

The  implication  follows  that  when  the  contractor 
has  put  this  much  in,  he  has  satisfied  the  specifica- 
tion. With  the  zinc-chloride  it  will  be  seen  that 
a  wide  open  door  is  left  by  which  merely  by  rais- 
ing the  strength  of  the  solution,  the  specified  amount 
of  the  chemical  can  be  secured  while  but  a  small 
part  of  the  tie  is  impregnated.  This  also  applies 
where  creosote  oil  is  used  in  connection  with  the 
chloride  of  zinc. 

We  have  always  kept  it  before  our  readers  that 
'THE  MATTER  OF  FIRST  IMPORTANCE  IS 
TO  SECURE  THOROUGH  IMPREGNATION" 
the  matter  of  quantity  being  of  secondary  import- 
ance. 

In  making  contracts,  this  should  be  considered  and 
guarded  first  of  all  both  in  the  specifications  and  by 
rigid  inspection  by  a  competent  inspector  ^  thoroughly 
competent  and  experienced  and  well  paid;  because 
such  experience  cannot  be  acquired  except  at  the 
expense  of  much  time  and  money  on  his  part.  This 
he  can  well  afford  as  by  attaining  such  skill  as  he 
should  have,  his  value  will  be  doubled.  Thus  it 
will  be  up  to  the  contractor  to  do  his  work  Bright, 
and  not  to  be  able  to  fall  back  upon  a  provision  of 
the  specifications  that  are  faulty,  as ^ above  shown. 

It  is  a  common  practice  when  quantity  is  specified, 
to  stop  the  process  when  the  requirement  is  met, 

255 


and  before  the  receptivity  of  the  charge  is  ex- 
hausted, and  the  impregnation  incomplete.  This  is 
radically  wrong  and  shows  such  a  specification  to  be 
faulty. 

PILING  AND  SEASONING  BEFORE  TREAT- 
ING, AND  DRYING  AFTER  TREAT- 
ING OF  TIES. 

Much  has  been  written  in  relation  to  this  matter 
largely  based  upon  theory. 

First ;  it  is  urged  that  the  timber  cannot  be  impreg- 
nated without  seasoning,  and  then  again  that  they 
cannot  be  put  into  track  until  dried  again.  Then 
again,  it  is  claimed  by  the  same  authority  that  the 
ties  should  not  be  dried  too  quickly  as  the  timber 
would  check  in  consequence.  What  are  we  to  be- 
lieve ? 

Query.  Does  not  the  checking  take  place  ^  largely 
during  the  air  seasoning  and  not  after  treating  and 
should  not  this  be  attended  to  before  treating? 

It  is  not  proposed  to  enter  into  a  controversy  on 
these  points  but  to  say  that  by  following  these  theor- 
ies, large  expense  is  incurred  to  no  purpose. 

With  regard  to  this  as  well  as  many  other  ques- 
tions, it  is  well  to  leave  them  to  the  manager  of  the 
works  with  freedom  of  judgment  as  the  best  guide, 
only  specifying  that  the  report  as  to  conditions  and 
reasons  shall  be  truly  reported. 

If  ties  cannot  be  well  dried  as  is  often  the  case, 
they  should  be  treated  so  as  it  ca>n  be  known  that 
they  are  well  impregnated.  The  amount  of  creosote 
must  be  a  matter  as  to  what  the  timber  will  take 
after  being  properly  prepared  for  impregnation,  and 
if  the  ties  will  dry  out  quickly  as  they  will,  this  too 
should  be  left  to  the  judgment^  of  the  manager. 
There  is  no  reason  why  treated  ties  will  dry  out  as 
they  often  will,  before  they  can  be  laid>  should  be 
carefully  piled  in  the  yard  and  again  reloaded.  All 
these  matters  are  largely  a  matter  of  judgment  with 
the  operators,  experience  furnishirvg  the  guide, 

HI 


A  treating  Plant  for  any  process  may  be  designed 
and  operated  successfully,  but  it  must  conform  to 
the  following: 

FUNDAMENTALS   TO   BE   CONSIDERED   IN 
PLANS 

First.  That  the  works  should  be  proportioned 
throughout  to  secure  the  desired  output. 

2nd.  That  each  part  should  be  proportioned  to  do 
the  desired  work,  still  each  proportioned  to  all  the 
other  parts  so  that  there  be  no  useless  or  surplus 
capacity  or  useless  cost. 

3rd.  That  each  part  perform  its  function  in  the 
most  direct  and  in  the  simplest  manner. 

4th.  That  every  part  be  of  the  best  manufacture 
and  the  most  reliable  for  lasting  service  so  that  re- 
pairs shall  be  infrequent,  saving  loss  of  tfme  and 
expensive  maintenance. 

5th.  That  the  working  parts  be  so  arranged  as 
to  be  promptly  operated  with  the  least  manual  labor. 

6th.  That  plans  of  all  the  essential  parts  be  fully 
planned  and  prepared  so  that  there  be  no  extra 
labor  or  delay  during  erection. 

7th.  That  the  arrangement  of  the  works  be  such 
that  accurate  measurements  and  weights  shall  be 
provided  for  so  that  it  shall  be  possible  to  know 
what  is  being  done,  at  any  or  all  times. 

8th.  That  the  operator  of  the  works  shall  be 
thoroughly  competent,  experienced,  thoroughly  hon- 
est and  faithful,  so  as  to  be  a  safeguard  between 
the  two  parties  concerned. 

In  the  practical  part  of  the  operation  of  timber  im- 
pregnation entire  good  faith  between  the  railroad 
Company  and  those  who  contract  to  treat  their  tim- 
ber, is  in  all  respects  the  best.  If  the  specifications 
are  right  and  the  works  properly  arranged,  the  com- 
mercial instinct  should  cut  no  figure,  as  the  work  can 
be  rushed  to  full  capacity  of  the  works  without  detri- 
ment or  prejudice  to  either  party. 

The  records  of  past  treatment  have  been  lowered  by 


"rush  work"  undoubtedly,  whereas  first  class  work 
would  have  been  done  at  no  additional  cost. 

Thorough  and  competent  inspection  is  the  only 
safeguard  and  will  redound  to  the  advantage  of  both 
parties. 

It  has  been  the  principle  of  the  author  to  hold  to 
straight,  honest  work  based  upon  correct  principles 
a#d  hereafter  as  heretofore  to  strike  at  every  depar- 
ture towards  slack  work  or  erroneous  notions  and  this 
will  be  done  without  fear  or  favor. 

COST  OF  A  TIMBER  PRESERVING  PLANT 

We  are  able  here  to  give  a  fair  approximate  cost 
derived  from  past  experience  by  accumulating  the 
aggregate  of  cost  of  the  various  contracts  with  the 
manufacturers,  the  three  retort  being  most  often 
called  for,  at  the  same  time  the  most  economically 
operated  and  is  here  tabulated  for  the  several  pro- 
cesses, the  figures  given  being  deemed  a  safe  net 
cost  covering  a  possible  advance  in  prices  of  metal 
and  machinery,  etc. 

The  first  item  in  the  table  is  net  cash  cost,  the 
second,  a  conservative  estimate  of  capacity  to  treat 
average  railroad  cross-ties  of ^  three  cubic  feet  each, 
and  the  third  item,  the  weight  of  machinery  on 
which  to  compute  cost  of  freight. 


Process  

Burnett 

2inc- 
Tannin 

Zinc- 
Creosote  * 

Ruepiog* 

Creosot** 

2  Retort  Wks 

$54,600.00 

$56,600.00 

$56.600.00 

$64,250.00 

$53.400.00 

Capacity  
Vt.  Mach.,etc,. 

4,200 
707,800  Ibs. 

3,000 
749,600  Ibs. 

4,200 
749,600  Ibs 

5,000 
785,200  Ibs. 

4,200 
707.800  Ibs. 

This  should  cover  a  complete  plant  with  the  best 
and  most  suitable  wooden  buildings,  concrete  foun- 
dations and  everything  ready  to  operate,  not  in- 
cluding lands  or  the  standard  railroad  tracks  in 
yard. 

Any  excess  in  cost  we  would  deem  due  to  un- 
skillful designs  or  miscalculations. 

*Note.  When  creosote  oil  is  used  there  should  be 
added  for  storage  of  stock  of  oil:  first,  a  tank  well 


proportioned  for  accurate  tank  measurement  and  for 
special  heating  appliances  called  usually  the  "work- 
ing tank"  which  must  be  of  steel  and  of  such  ca- 
pacity as  to  keep  on  hand  hot  oil  sufficient  for  the 
operation  of  the  plant. 

Secondly,  a  steel  tank  of  sufficient  capacity  to 
store  three  months'  stock  of  creosote  oil.  The  cost 
of  this  stone  tank,  estimated  at  about  $3,500,  should 
be  added  to  them  marked  with  star.  (*) 


CAST  STEEL  HIGH  PRESSURE  RETORT  DOOR  AND  FLANGE. 

(ROWE  &  ROWE.) 

261 


LtAO    LINED   SOLUTI 


LEAD  LINING  FOR  WOODEN  TANK. 
(ROWE.) 


CHEMICAL  TREATMENT  OF  TIMBER 

[Engineering  News] 

The  stress  now  bearing  on  the  railroads  of  this 
country,  owing  to  the  increasing  difficulty  in  procur- 
ing wooden  cross-ties  and  their  rapidly  increasing 
cost,  has  forced  attention  to  the  necessity  of  method 
of  prolonging  life  and  to  broadening  the  field  of  sup- 
ply. 

The  question  of  still  further  broadening  the  field 
by  resorting  to  metal  has  been  suggested,  but  it  is 
to  be  apprehended  that  the  greater  cost  of  metal  and 
the  superiority  of  the  wood  will  bar  this  for  a  long 
time  yet. 

While  the  chemical  treatment  of  the  wood  has  been 
resorted  to  in  this  country  for  a  comparatively  short 
time  and  only  in  isolated  cases,  enough  has  been 
learned  to  demonstrate  its  value  and  to  prove  its 
economy  and  its  adaptability  to  a  great  number  of 
timbers  not  heretofore  suitable  or  valuable  for  this 
purpose;  thus  very  much  broadening  the  field  of 
available  supply. 

Many  tentative  efforts  in  this  direction  have  been 
made  in  this  country  during  the  last  half  century  by 
various  processes  and  by  various  agencies,  but  owing 
to  the  less  amount  called  for  and  the  abundance  of 
timber  of  the  best  quality,  of  tie  timber  there  was 
but  little  advance  made. 

Now  that  the  railroads  are,  using  a  slang  but  very 
expressive  term,  "Up  against  it,"  attention  and  inter- 
est compels  action  and  no  one  subject  connected  with 
railway  maintenance  is  being  more  generally  dis- 
cussed. Not  only  discussed  but  action  is  being  taken, 
and  a  strong  desire  evinced  to  take  the  best  means 
to  make  the  action  effective. 

Up  to  this  time,  two  agents  have  been  employed, 
that  of  Chloride  of  Zinc  and  Oil  of  Coal  tar  (Creo- 
sote), the  latter  the  most  effective  but  the  former 
most  economical. 

Results  so  far  in  this  country  show  that  by  the 
Zinc-Chloride  treatment  the  life  of  the  soft  woods 

263 


is  more  than  doubled,  meaning  a  mean  life  of  from 
eight  to  twelve  years  for  pine  that  usually  lasts  from 
two  to  five  years.  It  must  be  understood  that  this 
is  the  mean  life,  the  actual  life  being  from  five  to 
over  twenty  years  for  the  treated  pine  ties  against 
two  to  seven  years  for  the  untreated  ties. 

The  treatment  with  creosote  gives  perhaps  twenty- 
five  to  fifty  per  cent,  more  life  than  with  the  chlo- 
ride treatment,  but  at  from  three  to  four  times  the 
cost  with  the  same  timber  in  both  cases  with  the 
further  difficulty  that  many  of  the  timbers  that  it 
may  be  desired  to  treat,  cannot  be  penetrated  except 
superficially. 

We  propose  here  to  notice  the  various  methods 
resorted  to,  and  proposed  to  be  resorted  to  in  the  im- 
pregnation of  the  timber: 

First:    The  Chloride  of  Zinc. 

Second:    The  Zinc-Tannin. 

Third :     The  Creosote  or  dead  oil. 

These  comprise  all  that  have  been  tried  in  this 
country  of  which  we  are  able  to  offer  extended 
records  that  are  authentic  enough  to  be  gainsaid: 
the  first,  that  of  the  Southern  Pacific  Railroad  with 
a  mean  of  eight  and  a  half  to  nine  years  for  Burnett- 
ized  pine  ties  and  in  the  second  case  near  twelve 
years  for  pine  ties  on  the  Atchison.  Of  ties  treated 
in  1885  and  removed  in  1905,  twenty  years  in  track, 
4,600  are  near  four  per  cent.,  and  there  are  doubtless 
still  some  of  the  1885  ties  still  in  track  in  spite  of 
mechanical  wear  and  notwithstanding  that  a  large 
part  of  the  line  on  which  these  1885  ties  were  laid 
has  been  ballasted  with  crushed  limestone  ballast 
by  which  some  were  prematurely  removed. 

Of  course  efforts  are  being  made  to  discredit  this 
agent  by  those  whose  disinterestedness  is  open  to  sus- 
picion, and  the  statement  is  being  made  that  the 
chloride  treatment  has  been  abandoned  in  the  old 
countries, — for  what  reasons? — and  that  creosote 
alone  is  effective.  We  will  surmise  that  there  may 
be  another  reason  for  its  abandonment, — that  of  the 
cheapness  of  creosote  oil  which  but  a  few  years  ago 

2C4 


was  almost  unsaleable,  there  being  but  a  limited  de- 
mand for  it.  This  is  a  surmise  by  no  means  discred- 
iting the  chloride  process,  and  a  condition  no  longer 
possible  under  present  conditions  and  so  valuable 
an  agent  as  the  creosote  can  never  be  much  cheaper 
than  now. 

Unless  the  price  of  creosote  oil  can  be  held  below 
present  prices  its  use  cannot  be  economical  for  rail- 
road ties  where  ten  to  fifteen  pounds  to  the  cubic 
foot  is  required,  and  even  twice  this  is  sometimes 
absorbed  by  the  softer  pines.  In  case  where  piles 
are  treated  especially  used  in  salt  water  to  protect 
against  the  Teredo,  the  largest  amount  is  justified 
both  for  effectiveness  and  on  account  of  the  limited 
quantity  of  timber  used. 

There  is  no  question  but  that  the  creosote  oil  is 
a  valuable  agent  for  the  purpose.  My  attention  was 
called  recently  to  a  case  where  Southern  short  leaf 
pine  ties  were  treated  with  creosote  in  1880-82;  near 
seven  per  cent,  were  still  in  service  at  twenty-four 
years.  In  1885  Zinc- Tannin  treated  ties,  four  per  cent, 
were  still  in  at  near  twenty  years,  a  parallel  which 
seems  to  be  about  the  relative  value  of  these  agents. 
It  would  be  well  to  remember  that  these  soft  wood 
ties  are  likely  to  fail  under  rail  and  spike  wear  at 
less  than  twelve  years. 

The  combination  of  these  two  agents  is  a  newer 
field  that  is  well  worthy  of  exploration,  holdjng  in 
mind  however,  that  sound  business  policy  which  we 
expect  from  railroad  managers,  will  require  results 
before  employing  such  an  amount  of  capital  for  a 
plant  commensurate  with  the  great  quantity  of  tim- 
ber to  be  treated  as  well  as  the  cost  of  operation 
and  chemicals,  without  some  assurance  of  the  desired 
result  when  they  have  done  so.  It  would  hardly 
be  safe  to  assume  that  the  reduced  amount  of  oil 
proposed  (four  to  six  pounds  per  cubic  foot)  could 
be  relied  upon  as  effective  until  demonstrated  by 
time  and  test. 

Two  of  these  methods  are  the  Rutger  Zinc-Creo- 
sote and  the  Ginssanni  in  which  both  creosote  and 

285 


chloride  of  zinc  are  intended  to  be  combined;  the 
former  is  an  emulsion;  in  the  latter  by  first  boiling 
the  timber  in  hot  oil  and  then  plunging  it  into  a 
vat  of  cold  chloride  of  zinc  solution.  The  Ginssanni 
process  would  seem  to  be  a  fair  treatment  for  rail- 
road ties  if  the  absorption  of  the  chloride  is  com- 
plete, but  seems  to  be  only  effective  as  to  penetration 
in  very  soft  open  wood.  Were  the  penetration  of 
the  chloride  complete  even  if  the  oil  penetration  was 
only  partial,  between  the  two  it  should  be  a  very 
fair  treatment  for  the  soft  timbers. 

The  Rutger  or  zinc-creosote  process  has  been 
under  trial  for  many  years  and  as  the  oil  penetration 
even  in  the  red  oak  seems  to  be  quite  complete  and 
that  of  the  chloride  quite  as  complete  as  in  the 
Burnett  and  the  Zinc-Tannin,  there  is  no  reason  why 
it  should  rank  with  them  with  a  strong  probability 
of  even  better  results.  I  have  not  the  records  at  hand 
to  show  what  the  average  life  of  these  treated  ties 
is.  Mr.  Octave  Chanute  estimates  mean  life  above 
that  of  the  Zinc-Tannin. 

The  Rueping  process  is  also  a  process  seeking  com- 
plete penetration  by  a  partial  dose  of  oil.  It  is  based 
upon  the  principle  that  the  only  way  that  complete 
penetration  can  be  secured  is  by  means  of  a  strong 
compression  of  the  air  in  the  wood  (usually  35  to  40 
per  cent,  of  the  volume  of  the  tie),  applying  60  to 
80  pounds  of  air  pressure  on  the  charge  and  then 
while  holding  this  pressure  forcing  in  the  oil  by  us- 
ing twice  this  pressure  on  the  charge  until  the  wood 
is  impregnated,  thus  releasing  the  pressure  and  al- 
lowing the  compressed  air  to  force  out  a  portion  of 
the  oil.  The  result  is  when  six  pounds  of  oil  per 
cubic  foot  is  introduced,  or  rather  forced  in,  about 
two  ^pounds  will  be  returned,  four  pounds  re- 
maining in  the  wood.  My  observation  shows  that 
the  softer  and  open  grained  woods  are  well  impreg- 
nated but  that  some  of  the  more  compact  woods 
cannot  be  well  impregnated,  when  it  is  practicable  to 
permeate  the  same  woods  with  chloride  of  zinc  as 
in  the  Burnett  or  Zinc-Tannin,  Zinc  Creosote,  etc. 

266 


The  means  taken  in  the  Rueping  process  to  extract 
a  portion  of  the  oil  are  the  best  and  most  effective 
known,  but  the  doubt  still  remains  as  to  the  utility 
of  using  a  limited  dose  of  oil.  When  we  have  a 
few  years'  time  to  observe  results  we  shall  be  better 
able  to  judge,  but  it  would  seem  worth  while  to  try 
it  by  those  that  have  the  means  and  are  willing  to 
incur  the  expense.  The  probability  seems  to  be  that 
the  results  should  be  equally  good  with  the  chlorides. 

The  use  of  a  vacuum  for  the  extraction  of  oil  once 
forced  into  the  wood  will  not  do  it  beyond  the  amount 
that  will  paint  a  dry  tie,  say  one  pound  per  cubic 
foot,  we  judge  as  with  the  aid  of  the  hardly  com- 
pressed air  as  applied  by  the  Rueping  operation  will 
only  bring  out  30  per  cent,  of  the  six  pounds  intro- 
duced. A  larger  amount  can  be  forced  in  if  a  higher 
pressure  is  applied  and  the  compression  of  the  air  in 
the  wood  be  omitted,  but  it  will  be  done  to  the  seri- 
ous injury  of  the  wood  fiber  by  forcing  in  more  than 
the  natural  voids  of  the  wood  will  hold.  Immedi- 
ately on  removal  of  the  high  pressure  the  oil  will 
commence  to  reject  this  surplus  and  will  continue  to 
do  so  until  the  timber  returns  to  its  normal  condition, 
the  surplus  oil  meantime  going  to  waste.  The  true 
policy  in  timber  impregnation  is  to  induce  rather 
than  force  permeation.  This  is  believed  to  be  largely 
due  to  the  steaming. 

The  methods  used  for  securing  impregnation  of 
the  timber  by  inducing  the  absorption  with  a  moder- 
ate amount  of  heat  and  such  degree  of  pressure  upon 
the  solution  or  oil  has  been  quite  generally  followed 
for  many  years,  in  the  Burnett,  the  Zinc-Tannin 
and  in  Creosoting.  It  consists  of: 

First,  steaming ;  second,  application  of  the  vacuum ; 
third,  the  introduction  of  the  solution  or  oil.  That 
this  has  been  the  best  and  most  effective  seems  to 
be  quite  apparent.  It  must  be  remembered  that  this 
program  was  established  and  practiced  for  the  last 
forty  years  and  its  correctness  has  not  been  seriously 
questioned  until  recently.  And  furthermore,  those 
disputing  its  propriety  or  correctness  as  meeting  the 

267 


physical  laws  and  conditions  seem  to  be  questioned 
either  by  new  students  of  the  matter  without  suffi- 
cient experience  to  grasp  the  matter  in  all  its  bear- 
ings, or  by  parties  with  some  new  patent  or  device 
and  with  self  interest  as  the  main  impelling  motive. 

The  application  of  steam  to  the  timber  is  claimed 
to  be  both  unnecessary  and  injurious,  especially  under 
high  pressure.  In  the  above  cases  experience  shows 
that  above  about  twenty  pounds  per  square  inch  is 
injurious,  hence  this  was  made  the  rule.  It  is,  and 
has  long  been  known  that  the  fiber  can  be  destroyed 
by  steam  as  the  fact  is  known  that  under  very  high 
pressure  steam  pipes  will  show  a  red  heat. 

It  has  been  claimed  and  loudly  proclaimed  that 
twenty  pounds  steam  pressure  will  reduce  the 
strength  of  steamed  timber  25  per  cent.  More  recent 
careful  tests  by  a  well  known  and  capable  chemist 
seem  to  indicate  that  the  injury  is  nothing  like  this 
and  proves  so  small  that  it  may  be  safely  ignored. 
Farther  investigation  may  show  the  entire  fallacy  of 
this  too  hasty  conclusion. 

But  no  matter.  We  know  that  the  steaming  per- 
forms a  very  essential  part  of  the  process,  fitting  the 
wood  for  absorption  of  the  chemicals,  heating  and 
dissolving  the  juices,  and  filling  its  place  with  ex- 
panded vapors  by  which  the  air  is  largely  exhausted 
by  the  aid  of  the  vacuum  following.  No  other  agent 
can  be  used  to  bring  this  condition  about  so  effec- 
tually. Not  only  this,  but  the  fiber  of  the  timber 
is  softened  for  the  time  and  eventually  toughened 
much  as  if  the  timber  had  been  air-dried  for  a  long 
time.  Subsequent  examination  of  the  timber  of  rail- 
road cross-ties  shows  that  the  spike  drives  with  less 
injtrry  to  the  wood,  holds  better  and  that  rail  wear  is 
very  much  reduced.  This  is  believed  to  be  largely 
due  to  this  steaming. 

Then,  again,  while  much  has  been  said  about  the 
necessity  of  air-drying  ties  for  several  months  before 
allowing  the  timber  to  be  treated,  which  is  conceded 
as  desirable  in  some  cases,  in  others*  impracticable 
as  with  the  loblolly  of  the  south  in  which  case  as 


well  as  with  ties  from  the  mountains  of  the  Repub- 
lic of  Mexico,  rot  so  as  to  be  useless  in  two  years 
if  not  treated,  as  decay  will  commence  in  a  week  and 
progress  far  before  they  can  possibly  be  air-dried. 

Any  one  well  versed  in  the  matter  knows  that 
under  ordinary  conditions  where  a  large  plant  is  in 
operation  that  it  is  impracticable  to  thoroughly  air- 
dry  all  the  ties  before  treating.  Some  ties  dry  in  a 
comparatively  short  time,  while  others  require  much 
more  time.  It  is  hardly  worth  while  to  argue  the 
matter  farther  as  we  know  that  the  bulk  of  ties 
treated  to-day  are  not  all  dry  and  that  the  enforce- 
ment of  such  a  rule  is  impracticable. 

Then  again,  there  are  many  timbers  that  are  more 
easily  impregnated  when  freshly  cut  than  dried, 
such  as  the  pines  and  fir  of  the  Northwest  as  well 
as  those  of  the  Pacific  Slope. 

Then  again,  there  are  timbers  that  can  be  impreg- 
nated by  steaming  and  the  use  of  the  Chloride  of 
Zinc  with  the  greatest  difficulty  and  with  creosote, 
not  at  all.  Conceding  this  view,  then  it  follows  that 
not  only  can  green  fresh  cut  ties  be  impregnated  but 
any  mixed  lot  can  be  brought  to  a  uniform  condition 
by  steaming. 

There  can  be  a  gallon  of  dissolved  timber  juices 
per  cubic  foot  of  timber,  or  in  other  words  something 
like  twenty  pounds  taken  from  the  tie.  This  is  sup- 
posed to  be  solid  matter  dissolved  and  drawn  out 
by  the  steaming,  and  we  have  a  right  to  suppose  that 
it  consists  of  germ  food,  largely. 

The  rule  of  allowable  pressure  of  one  hundred 
pounds  per  square  inch  while  in  solution  or  oil  has 
also  been  criticised  and  the  assertion  has  been  very 
emphatically  made,  that  higher  pressure  will  not  in- 
jure the  timber  fiber  even  up  to  600  pounds  per  square 
mch.  We  know  that  200  pounds  will  come  near 
opening  up  a  piece  of  oak  and  will  cheek  an  ordinary 
railroad  tie  and  admit  more  solution  than  wilt  fill 
every  void  twice  over.  While  this  would  not  mater- 
injure  the  strength  of  fiber  it  wiii<  earae  easy 

2m 


parting  of  the  wood  and  admission  of  water  later 
to  the  more  rapid  decay. 

Those  who  are  using  the  Zinc-Chloride  have  been 
somewhat  concerned  by  the  claim  made  that  the 
Chloride  of  Zinc  leaches  out  of  the  timber  rapidly. 
An  effort  has  been  made  to  do  this  by  long  continued 
and  oft  repeated  series  of  immersions  in  water, 
drying  and  analyzing,  shows  that  a  small,  regularly 
decreasing  amount  does  waste  out  but  after  near 
eighteen  months  only  28  per  cent,  of  that  absorbed 
originally,  was  extracted. 

The  writer  has  worked  for  many  years  in  the  in- 
terest of  honest  and  effective  work  in  relation  to  this 
subject,  giving  to  every  phase  of  the  conditions  to 
be  met  and  to  the  solution  of  every  phase  and  condi- 
tion and  to  every  principle  involved.  Long  and  pa- 
tient experiments  have  been  made  in  relation  to  every 
point  involving  every  one  of  those  embodied  in  this 
article  and  it  is  believed  that  while  their  correctness 
in  many  cases  is  denied  and  by  others  criticized  as 
incorrect,  yet  it  is  believed  that  they  will  be  sus- 
tained eventually.  The  Forestry  Service  has  been 
organizing  a  force  to  systematically  investigate  the 
whole  matter  with  a  view  to  settling  authoritatively 
many  or  all  the  disputed  points  and  to  this  we  will 
look  forward  with  much  confidence.  In  advance  of 
such  however,  we  are  willing  to  stand  by  what  we 
have  written  even  though  overridden  by  a  flood  of 
objections. 

From  present  knowledge  we  will  not  believe  that 
a  better  knowledge  of  the  matter  exists  in  any  for- 
eign country,  even  Germany,  as  knowledge  has  never 
come  freely  from  that  source  in  particular. 

Goethe,  the  great  poet,  over  100  years  ago  exclaimed 
with  impatience,  "The  Germans  have  the  art  of  mak- 
ing science  inaccessible,"  and  Baron  von  Humboldt 
supplements  this  by  explaining  that  "An  edifice  can- 
not produce  a  striking  effect  until  the  scaffolding  is 
removed." 

If  in  fact  men  of  high  abilities  have  built  up  the 
industry  under  consideration,  what  was  true  100 

270 


years  ago  is  yet  measurably  true  to-day,  and  those 
essential  principles  and  methods  involved  in  the  art, 
and  art  it  is,  have  been  very  careful  to  obscure  their 
knowledge,  and  are  not  in  condition  to-day  to  prove 
their  pre-eminence  in  knowledge  or  in  priority  of 
discovery.  What  we  have  been  favored  with  has 
been  through  our  scholarly  Octave  Chanute,  C.  E., 
and  we  doubt  whether  any  more  thorough  knowledge 
and  experience  has  been  attained  in  Germany  than 
here. 

A  revived  candidate  for  favor  that  is  being  pro- 
moted is  that  of  Vulcanizing,  or  in  other  words, 
roasting  the  wood.  Whether  sufficient  heat  can  be 
employed  without  burning  the  timber  seems  doubtful. 
It  seems  probably  that  the  same  result,  to  wit,  thor- 
oughly seasoning,  can  better  be  secured  by  judicious 
steaming  which  is  about  the  only  method  that  will 
guard  against  burning  the  fiber  In  kiln  drying 
lumber  resort  is  being  had  in  moist  air;  (Or  in  other 
words,  steaming  under  light  pressure)  instead  of 
using  dry  hot  air. 

More  light  is  needed  before  we  can  judge  as  to  the 
value  of  the  Vulcanized  process. 

Chicago,  Dec.  7,  1906. 

THEORY  OF  STEAMING  TIMBER 

CHICAGO,  April  30,  1905. 
Mr.  A.  A.  Robinson,  President,  Mexican  Central  R. 

R.  Co.,  Mexico  City,  Mex. 
DEAR  SIR  AND  FRIEND: 

Introductory  to  the  subject  of  your  letter,  I  think 
it  well  to  refer  back  to  the  time  over  twenty  years 
ago,  when  all  the  information  I  was  able  to  acquire 
was  mainly  from  the  patentees  who  then  owned  the 
"Wellhouse  Process"  as  to  the  whole  method  of  the 
operation  and  the  philosophy  and  physics;  and  when 
the  whole  responsibility  for  the  proper  operation  was 
placed  upon  myself,  I  considered  it  my  duty  to  do 
as  I  have  done  in  every  case  in  my  many  years  of 
active  duty  on  questions  of  railroad  engineering  and 

271 


constructions,  to  go  to  the  bottom  of  it  if  possible. 
In  this  case  I  was  able  to  enlist  my  son  who  succeeded 
me  the  following  year.  This  study  formed  the  basis 
of  the  journal  then  commenced  as  a  necessity  to  the 
direction  of  the  operator  of  the  plant.  To  this  has 
been  added  the  information  derived  since  by  years 
of  labor  and  thousands  of  dollars  of  expense  and 
which  I  send  you  under  separate  cover,  as  1906  Edi- 
tion of  "Preservation  of  Timber."  Undoubtedly, 
there  are  many  errors,  of  some  of  which  I  am  well 
aware,  which  should  come  out  in  a  revision.  This 
I  can  find  neither  time  nor  means  to  do  at  present. 
You  will  see  that  almost  every  essential  element  and 
physical  principle  involved  in  the  operation  of  im- 
pregnating timber  under  the  Burnett,  The  Wellhouse 
and  almost  all  other  processes,  have  been  investigated 
with  great  care  and  I  believe  that  my  conclusions 
will  be  found  correct  and  that  they  will  benefit  the 
honest  student. 

Since  I  have  fallen  back  on  the  planning  and  in- 
stalling works  for  a  living  and  have  erected  some 
very  good  plants,  most  of  which  are  in  efficient  and 
effective  operation,  the  tendency  of  humanity  to  ex- 
periment has  led  to  questioning  some  of  the  rules 
laid  down  originally  by  which  good  results  have  been 
attained,  among  which  is  the  one  in  hand.  I  think 
however,  that  the  preponderance  of  evidence  is  still 
in  favor  of  the  correctness  of  those  laid  down  includ- 
ing the  steam  seasoning. 

A  man  goes  to  Germany  about  three  years  ago 
and  talks  with  the  timber  treaters  there,  returns  and 
immediately  enters  the  field  as  an  expert  in  the  busi- 
ness and  also  immediately  concludes  that  the  chloride 
of  zinc  treatment  was  a  failure  in  this  country. 

One  of  the  hardest  things  to  understand  is  that 
he,  through  governmental  backing,  impliedly,  if  not 
actually  succeeded  in  holding  up  the  whole  business 
in  this  country  in  a  measure,  and  not  only  this,  to 
throw  discredit,  both  on  the  many  workers  and  upon 
results  obtained.  Not  only  this,  but  the  schemes  of 
various  promoters  have  been  taken  up,  and  exploited 

272 


some  nonsensical  and  some  that  when  properly  prov- 
en by  time,  may  be  of  value,  but  that  any  one  with 
so  short  an  experience  should  set  himself  up  as  an 
authority  is  almost  incredible  and  shows  but  little 
conception  of  the  broadness  of  the  whole  question. 

By  a  series  of  experiments  he  proves  that  steaming 
weakens  the  timber.  This  was  known  many  years 
ago,  as  was  the  fact  that  excessive  heat  applied  by 
steam  or  by  any  other  means  would  burn  up  the 
timber.  Witness  the  effect  often  seen  in  creosoted 
timber  where  super-heated  steam  had  been  used. 

Therefore,  the  conclusion  by  implication  is  that 
Creosote  and  Creosote  alone  is  to  be  the  successful 
agent. 

It  is  well  to  mention  in  this  connection,  that  he  has 
lost  sight  of  the  fact  that  many  of  the  timbers  that 
should  be  treated  cannot  be  impregnated  without 
steaming,  and  again,  that  some  timbers  like  the 
loblolly  and  the  old  field  pine  cannot  be  dried  for 
any  considerable  time  without  going  far  toward  de- 
cay. 

Then  again  the  universal  use  of  dead  oil  is  im- 
possible first,  because  but  a  minor  portion  of  the 
timbers  that  should  be  treated,  can  be  impregnated 
by  any  known  practicable  means,  and  again,  it  has 
long  been  known  that  creosoting  is  too  expensive 
except  for  special  cases  where  specially  long  life  is 
sought. 

Now  let  us  see  that  all  is  thus  ruthlessly  brushed 
aside.  In  1885,  you  ordered  the  Las  Vegas  works 
erected  to  use  the  chloride  of  zinc,  or  rather  the 
Wellhouse  or  Zinc-Tannin  process  in  the  impregna- 
tion of  the  Rocky  Mountain  Pine  ties.  At  that  time 
you  gave  me  a  sample  of  a  cross  tie  treated  for  the 
most  perishable  timber  which  had  seen  seventeen 
years'  service  in  track,  yet  perfectly  sound  which  in 
itself  was  a  fair  assurance  for  the  future  and  an 
apparent  justification  for  an  appropriation  for  works 
and  the  necessary  stock  of  chemicals,  etc.,  yet  a  large 
sum  for  those  days. 

Now,  as  to  the  results  to-day. 

273 


The  mean  life  of  the  untreated  ties  (pine)  1880 
to  1886,  five  years,  was  computed  to  be  four  and  a 
half  years  as  in  1886,  over  three  quarters  of  the  ties 
laid  in  1880  were  taken  out  rotten  so  completely  as 
to  be  entirely  worthless  for  fuel.  The  next  point  to 
note  is  that  the  treated  ties  were  found  to  remain 
entirely  sound  until  the  sixth  year  with  a  very  small 
percentage  on  the  sixth  year  principally  from  break- 
age and  mechanical  wear. 

Then  again,  assuming  that  removals  do  not  com- 
mence until  the  sixth  year  as  is  also  true  as  to  hem- 
lock ties  treated  by  the  same  process  by  the  Chicago 
Tie  works,  we  take  all  the  ties  laid  and  removed 
from  track  from  1886  to  1900  previous  to  1905,  some 
4,560,000  or  about  28  per  cent,  of  the  total  treated 
and  laid,  including  failure  from  all  causes  at  an 
average  of  life  of  ten  and  two-thirds  years.* 

The  Santa  Fe  record  is  not  as  complete  as  we 
could  desire,  but  its  trend  is  unmistakable,  showing 
that  we  get  a  mean  life  of  nearly  twelve  years  as 
against  four  and  a  half  years  for  the  same  kind,  of 
ties  untreated. 

From  time  to  time,  appeals  have  been  made  to 
me  as  to  the  admissibility  of  the  omission  of  the 
steaming.  I  can  only  point  to  the  above  record, 
as  beyond  this,  I  DO  NOT  KNOW.  In  my  ex- 
perience I  see  much  to  lead  me  to  believe  that  loss 
will  be  incurred  by  its  omission,  or  in  fact,  any 
omission  from  the  original  Wellhouse  program. 

Quoting  from  your  letter :  "From  the  very  nature 
of  the  case,  it  seems  to  me  that  the  idea  that  the 
ties  must  be  seasoned  is  fallacious  for  the  reason 
that  the  chief  point  in  securing  good  treatment  is  to 
draw  from  the  timber  the  juices,  saps  and  acids  con- 
tained in  the  wood,  and  it  seems  to  me  this  can  be 
more  readily  done  before  they  are  dried  out  and 
while  they  are  in  their  liquid  state." 

*Note.  I  have  removals  just  reported  by  Mr. 
Faulkner  for  1905  showing  that  4,600  of  the  111,000 
ties  treated  in  1885  were  taken  out  in  the  twentieth 
year  of  service. 

274 


Confirming  your  views  above  quoted  it  is  a  fact 
that  the  timbers  in  the  west  slope  of  the  continent 
are  best  treated  direct  from  the  mill  and  these  tim- 
bers cannot  be  penetrated  without  steaming.  My  ex- 
perience at  Kalispell,  Mont.,  confirms  what  Mr.  W. 
G.  Curtis  and  Mr.  ^  Isaacs  of  the  Southern  Pacific  R. 
R.  Co.  have  long  insisted. 

Another  omission,  should  be  mentioned,  that  of  the 
glue  and  tannin. 

It  was  early  complained  that  nobody  could  find 
the  leatheroid.  The  trouble  was  that  they  looked  in 
the  wrong  place.  In  Wellhouse  treated  ties  in  Texas 
it  was  early  observed  that  with  the  loblolly  (the  most 
perishable  timber)  in  ties  where  the  corrugated 
tie  plate  rested,  that  the  surface  of  the  tie  was  cut 
into,  presumably  breaking  the  protected  tie  so  that 
the  timber  rotted  away  in  the  form  of  an  inverted 
bowl  leaving  the  body  of  the  tie  measurably  sound. 

The  true  place  to  discover  the  protecting  quality 
of  the  leatheroid  is  in  the  general  appearance  and 
condition  of  the  tie  after  six  or  eight  years'  exposure 
in  service  and  comparing  it  with  the  Burnettized  or 
even  with  the  untreated  tie.  To  those  able  to  read 
as  they  run,  this  will  be  quite  apparent  in  what  I 
call  the  "integrity  of  the  tie."  I  know  no  better 
name  for  it,  where  the  tie  is  full  and  sound  long  after 
untreated  ties  have  started  to  go  in  pieces  or  even 
those  Burnettized. 

Further  omissions  may  be  suggested  with  a  view 
to  saving  any  expense  whatever,  but  it  seems  as  if 
the  economies  secured  at  the  expense  of  ten  to 
twelve  cents  per  tie,  that  the  rules  under  which  the 
before  mentioned  results  are  secured  are  best  ad- 
hered to  until  something  better  is  devised  and 
proven. 

By  the  careful  observer,  the  omission  of  the  steam 
seasoning  as  suggested,  comes  largely  from  the  com- 
mercial side  in  the  discussion.  Mr.  Phillippi's  quo- 
tation from  my  book  which  expressed  the  belief  that 
the  steaming  was  an  essential  part  of  successful  im- 
pregnation as  well  as  a  seasoning  of  the  timber, 
drew  forth  "left-handed  applause"  from  the  com- 

275 


mercial  crowd  that,  unfortunately,  due  to  the  reason 
mentioned  at  the  opening  of  this  letter,  seemed  to 
dominate  the  convention. 

Certain  matters  in  relation  to  timber  impregnation 
seem  to  be  fundamental,  among  which  are: 

First:  No  iron  clad  rule  or  specification  can  be 
drawn  to  cover  the  handling  of  every  timber  condi- 
tion and  every  part  of  the  country;  to  believe  it  pos- 
sible will  indicate  but  a  limited  conception  of  what 
such  an  undertaking  comprises.  Only  honest  study 
and  extended  experience  with  the  added  COMMON 
SENSE  will  meet  each  and  every  case. 

Second:  That  some  timbers  can  only  with  the 
greatest  difficulty  be  impregnated  by  the  aid  of  steam 
and  the  vacuum;  without,  not  at  all. 

Third:  That  if  desired,  timber  cannot  always  be 
secured  uniformly  dry,  and  that  some  timbers  cannot 
be  treated  at  their  best  when  delayed  to  be  thorough- 
ly dry,  as  before  stated. 

Fourth  and  lastly:  Creosote  cannot  be  utilized  to 
the  exclusion  of  the  Chloride  of  Zinc  and  other 
agents;  first,  because  many  timbers  cannot  be  im- 
pregnated by  any  known  practical  process;  secondly, 
as  to  railroad  cross-ties  on  account  of  excessive  cost 
with  timber  that  can  be  impregnated. 

In  conclusion  I  call  attention  to  the  fact  that  we 
have  thirty-seven  years'  evidence  of  the  value  of  the 
Wellhouse  or  Zinc-Tannin  and  it  seems  the  proper 
thing  to  keep  it  until  something  better  is  offered  with 
at  least  a  reasonable  record. 

I  must  beg  your  pardon  for  this  long  dissertation 
but  you  must  understand  that  is  done  under  severe 
provocation  and  in  a  case  where  a  man  feels  like 
snaring  the  stress  with  another. 

With  kindest  personal  regards,  I  am, 
Most  respectfully  yours, 

(Signed)  SAMUEL  S.  ROWE. 


276 


PROGRAM    FOR    TESTING    AMOUNT    SOL- 
UBLE MATTER  REMOVED  BY  STEAMING 

In  the  impregnation  of  timber,  whether  with  oil 
or  with  zinc  chloride,  the  present  practice  is  to  sub- 
mit the  timber  to  the  action  of  steam,  the  vacuum 
and  finally  to  direct  contact  with  the  oil  or  solution 
with  a  certain  degree  of  pressure.  We  can  weigh 
the  charge  between  and  after  the  treatment  and  the 
increased  weight  may  be  taken  as  the  actual  amount 
absorbed,  but  it  will  invariably  be  found  that  this 
excess  or  increase  in  weight  will  not  equal  the 
actual  amount  drawn  from  the  tank.  To  account 
for  this,  we  should  inquire  what  takes  place  during 
the  process,  it  being  evident  that  so  much  of  the 
solution  or  the  oil  is  lost  in  some  way,  or  that  during 
the  process  of  steaming  something  is  extracted  from 
the  timber  during  its  contact  with  the  steam.  The 
latter  is  the  most  probable  and  indeed  it  is  easy  to 
see  that  much  of  the  timber  resins  and  juices  appear 
in  the  off-fall  to  the  sewer  during  the  steaming,  but 
how  much  of  this  is  timber  sap  and  how  much  is 
condensed  steam  cannot  be  easily  determined. 

Ordinary  observation  will  show  that  the  steam 
does  not  disturb  the  insoluble  cellulose  or  wood 
fiber  matter  in  the  wood.  If  we  weigh  very  dry 
timber  after  drawing  the  vacuum  we  find  that  it 
is  slightly  heavier  than  before,  but  if  we  do  the 
same  when  the  timber  is  green  and  sappy,  we 
find  it  considerable  lighter;  hence  we  have  reason  to 
infer  that  a  larger  amount  of  sap  has  been  extracted 
from  the  green  than  from  the  dry  timber. 

Further  than  this  what  takes  place  during  this 
part  of  the  process  is  not  known,  or  at  least  has 
never  been  published  by  those  knowing. 

If  we  weigh  before  introducing  again  after  steam- 
ing, again  after  vacuum  and  finally  after  withdraw- 
ing, we  may  gain  some  knowledge. 

The  temperature  of  the  timber  at  each  stage  li 
carefully  taken  might  aid  too,  as  it  is  quite  im- 
portant to  know  this  in  connection  with  the  former 

277 


facts  and  the  time  required  to  treat  the  wood  clear 
through. 

The  thermometer  could  be  introduced  into  holes 
previously  prepared,  deep  enough  to  allow  the  bulb 
to  reach  the  center.  This  of  course  would  give  only 
an  approximate,  but  near  enough  to  give  a  fair 
knowledge  of  the  temperature  of  the  wood  at  each 
Stage. 

Various  experiments  are  being  made,  at  what  cost 
remains  to  be  proven,  among  which  are  the  substi- 
tution of  the  Burnett  for  the  Wellhouse  process  and 
the  omission  of  the  steaming  from  each.  One  more 
omission  would  bring  us  back  to  the  point  of  start- 
ing, where  20  per  cent,  renewals  are  required  in- 
stead of  6  per  cent,  as  has  been  demonstrated. 

The  omission  of  the  steaming,  even  where  the 
wood  is  exceedingly  dry  still  leaves  something  lack- 
ing in  the  process.  The  absorption  of  so  much 
chloride  may  be  attained  without  difficulty,  but  the 
juices  of  the  timber  remain — one  of  the  important 
matters  at  which  the  steaming  is  aimed  and  which 
cannot  be  reached  in  any  other  way. 

This  is  more  important  with  some  kinds  of  timber 
than  others  as  the  sugary  saps  go  much  farther  in 
the  promotion  of  decay  than  the  turpentines,  but  in 
case  of  the  latter  there  are  elements  that  are  better 
removed.  It  is  hardly  conceivable  that  a  railroad 
company  will  experiment  in  this  way,  and  I  believe 
that  if  the  facts  as  to  results  so  far  were  closely 
studied  and  more  freely  disseminated,  that  its  un- 
wisdom would  be  apparent. 

There  has  been  so  much  tendency  to  pare  down 
and  belittle  results  under  the  idea  of  being  con- 
servative, that  the  whole  matter  has  been  thrown 
under  a  cloud  of  doubt. 

A  more  sanguine  treatment  would  seem  genial 
and  wiser,  particularly  as  in  keeping  the  records, 
failure  from  other  causes  than  decay  are  inseparable 
in  the  summing  up.  Ties  destroyed  by  derailment 
and  from  decay  taking  place  before  treatment  and 

278 


breakage  or  crushing  from  overloading  swell  the 
failures  even  in  the  earlier  stages. 

The  purpose  of  this  paper  is  to  encourage  this 
investigation  by  the  co-operation  of  several  of  the 
operators  of  existing  works  and  to  be  able  to  com- 
pare the  results  for  the  benefit  of  all. 

The  following  program  is  suggested  as  meeting 
the  case,  to  wit: — 

First;  weigh  the  last  two  cars  in,  these  being  the 
most  convenient  to  get  at,  before  closing  retort. 

Second;  take  out  and  weigh,  when  steaming  is 
completed,  at  the  same  time  taking  temperature. 

Third;  again  weigh  after  vacuum,  again  taking 
temperature. 

Fourth;  again  weigh  immediately  after  with- 
drawing charge. 

The  Fahrenheit  thermometer  requires  a  quarter- 
inch  hole  with  a  bit  cutting  a  clean  hole  to  the 
center  of  the  tie  and  can  be  introduced  and  read  in 
a  minute  or  two,  giving  at  least  an  approximate. 
Suggestions  are  in  order. 

(For  results,  see  Table  on  Page  184,  ante.;  also 
New  Tests  at  Evansville.) 

CHICAGO  TIE  PRESERVING  COMPANY 
TERRE  HAUTE,  IND.,  Nov.  8,  1906. 
Mr.  Samuel  M.  Ro-we, 

Chicago,  III. 
DEAR  SIR: — 

In  reply  to  your  letter  of  Nov.  ist,  I  have  made 
several  experiments  within  the  past  month  on  red 
oak  ties,  in  order  to  ascertain  the  amount  of  creo- 
sote oil  that  can  be  withdrawn  from  the  wood  by 
means  of  a  vacuum.  In  these  experiments  the  oil 
was  admitted  to  the  cylinder  without  exhausting  the 
air  from  the  wood  first. 

Where  oak  ties  are  well  seasoned  and  weigh  from 
forty-five  to  fifty  pounds  to  the  cubic  foot,  I  have 
been  able  to  withdraw  from  one  to  two  and  a  half 
pounds  of  oil  per  tie  with  a  twenty-six  inch  vacuum 
maintained  for  one  hour.  The  wood  in  this  case, 
being  well  seasoned,  will  yield  but  a  very  small 

279 


amount  of  oil  when  the  vacuum  is  applied.  Where 
the  wood  is  not  so  well  seasoned,  and  weighs  in  the 
neighborhood  of  fifty-five  pounds  to  the  cubic  foot, 
more  oil  can  be  withdrawn,  as  the  oil  does  not 
penetrate  to  a  very  great  distance.  In  this  case  I 
have  been  able  to  withdraw  from  three  and  a  half 
to  five  pounds  per  tie  in  one  hour,  with  a  vacuum 
of  twenty-six  inches. 

Oak  ties  will  absorb  from  two  to  three  times  as 
much  oil  if  the  air  is  first  withdrawn  from  the  wood 
than  they  will  where  the  oil  is  forced  into  the  wood 
without  exhausting  the  air;  and  for  this  reason  it 
is  impossible  to  withdraw  but  a  small  amount  of 
oil  by  means  of  a  vacuum.  A  tie  that  is  in  con- 
dition to  absorb  fifty  pounds  of  oil,  will  take  only 
from  twenty  to  twenty-five  pounds  of  oil  if  the  air 
is  not  first  exhausted.  Therefore  it  will  yield  but  a 
small  amount  when  the  vacuum  is  applied  after 
treatment. 

In  the  Rueping  process  where  eighty  pounds'  pres- 
sure of  air  is  first  maintained  for  one  hour  and  the 
oil  then  admitted  without  destroying  the  air  pressure, 
I  have  found  it  impossible  to  inject  into  a  red  oak 
tie  more  than  from  five  to  ten  pounds  of  oil  per  tie 
with  a  pressure  of  180  pounds  per  square  inch  for 
three  hours. 

Average  volume  of  the  ties  used  in  this  experi- 
ment =  2.75  cubic  feet. 

Very  truly  yours, 

J.  B.   CARD. 

Note:  This  letter  is  here  deemed  worthy  of 
preservation,  as  Mr.  Card  is  a  son  of  J.  P.  ^Card, 
deceased,  one  of  the  earliest  and  best  authorities  on 
timber  preservation  in  this  country;  and  his  ex- 
perience has  been  long  and  continuous.  What  his 
tests  here  given  show,  is  well  worth  pondering  as 
relates  to  the  amount  of  oil  withdrawn. 

(Refer   to    P. — Over    pressure.) 


280 


WASTING  AWAY   OF   CHLORIDE  OF  ZINC 

In  the  treatment  of  timber  by  the  use  of  the  Chlo- 
ride of  Zinc  almost  the  first  impression  that  strikes 
the  new  investigator  is  that  owing  to  the  extreme 
solubility  of  this  chemical  salt  it  is  liable  to 
quickly  waste  away.  Without  further  argument  the 
conclusion  is  drawn  that  it  is  quickly  exhausted  and 
that  decay  at  once  sets  in,  and  the  fact  is  that  the 
arrival  at  this  conclusion  is  generally  considered 
sufficient  to  condemn  it  as  a  preservative. 

This  conclusion  is  fallacious  from  the  fact  that 
it  is  based  upon  wrong  premises.  That  there  is  some 
waste  is  conceded,  but  that  this  waste  is  of  suffi- 
cient importance  to  condemn  the  Chloride  of  Zinc 
as  an  agent  to  prolong  the  life  of  the  timber  is  all 
wrong.  The  Wellhouse  process  (Zinc-Tannin)  is 
based  upon  the  idea  of  reducing  this  waste. 

The  amount  of  this  waste  may  be  judged  by  ex- 
posing the  treated  tie  to  frequent  exposure  of  the 
piece  to  a  series  of  exposures  to  the  most  severe  con- 
ditions possible,  that  of  placing  the  piece  in  water, 
removing  and  drying,  the  analysis  as  to  loss  and  then 
repeating  this  for  a  long  time.*  The  waste  shown 
by  analysis  was  found  considerable  at  first,  but  gradu- 
ally reduced  at  each  trial  so  that  after  several  tests 
the  loss  almost  ceased  and  the  total  loss  proved  that 
less  than  28  per  cent,  of  the  original  amount  had  been 
extracted. 

By  relying  on  test  of  treated  ties  after  long  expos- 
ure, is  often  misleading.  A  tie  in  which  decay  has 
far  progressed  before  being  treated  will  be  found  in 
after  years  to  contain  much  of  the  Chloride  still 
present,  while  a  sound,  well  impregnated  tie  will  be 
still  sound  after  many  years  of  exposure,  retaining 
but  a  trace.  The  fact  is  that  a  well  grown,  close 
grained  wood  does  not  take  anything  like  the  quan- 
tity of  the  chemical  in  the  first  place,  and  does  not 
need  it.  Common  sense  should  make  evident  the 
futility  of  treating  wood  where  decay  is  more  or  less 

*  (Experiments  made  by  F.  J.  Angier,  when  the 
test  was  carried  on  over  a  year). 

281 


present  already  and  to  treat  such  is  a  foolish  and  vain 

expenditure  of  money. 

To   Whom  it  may  Concern: 

The  question  has  been  asked:  "How  long  will  the 
antiseptic  sap  combination  of  chemicals  stay  in  the 
wood  after  it  has  been  injected?" 

The  answer  to  this  question  is,  that  the  effect  of  the 
chemicals  on  the  wood  will  remain  as  long  as  the 
wood  lasts,  for  the  reason  that  it  destroys  the  germ 
upon  which  the  agencies  combine  to  cause  decay. 
The  absolute  penetration  of  the  chemicals  into  every 
part  of  the  wood,  destroying  the  germs,  is  what  prevents 
the  heat,  air  and  moisture  from  having  anything  to 
work  upon  to  generate  the  growth  of  fungi,  or  to 
cause  fermentation,  which  means  decay. 

In  treating  green  lumber,  the  cells  of  which  are 
filled  with  sap,  the  chemicals  combine  and  oxydize 
the  sap,  making  it  a  part  of  the  preservative. 

In  treating  seasoned  lumber,  where  there  is  no  sap 
to  be  combined  with  the  chemicals,  the  chemicals  be- 
ing a  preservative  within  themselves,  act  only  to  kill 
the  germs  remaining  in  the  wood. 

The  chemicals  are  of  such  a  nature  and  combina- 
tion that  either  green  or  seasoned  lumber  can  be 
treated  without  the  use  of  the  dry-kiln,  which  so  often 
impairs  the  value  of  lumber  by  overheating. 

After  the  solution  has  done  its  work  of  destroying 
the  germs,  evaporation  takes  place  which  leaves  the 
wood  filled  with  the  oxides  and  carbonates,  chlorides 
and  sulphates  to  act  as  a  preservative  to  prolong  its 
life  and  lessen  its  liability  to  check  and  warp. 

Should  climatic  conditions  reduce  the  amount  of  any 
of  the  chemicals,  it  will  not  reduce  the  effect  pro- 
duced, for  the  reason  that  the  chemical  action  so 
changes  the  original  condition  of  the  wood  that  all 
germ-matter  which  generates  a  fungus  growth  is 
destroyed. 

We  should  rather  look  to  the  results  of  the  treat- 
ment as  shown  by  the  records  of  results  in  the  pro- 
longed life  of  the  tie  under  service,  and  by  taking 

282 


into  consideration  all  the  conditions  under  which  the 
tie  has  passed  in  being  treated,  and  deduce  there- 
from a  much  more  philosophical  explanation  of 
what  has  taken  place.  Even  if  there  is  some  waste 
during  subsequent  years,  it  is  not  clear  but  that  the 
chloride  has  done  its  work  in  the  resolution  of 
the  elements  of  decay  thus  preventing  decay  for  a. 
long  time.  The  result  seems  to  indicate  that  this  is 
true  when  we  take  into  consideration  the  well  at- 
tested fact  that  very  little  decay  takes  place  in  six 
years  and  an  average  of  near  twelve  years*  life  is 
secured  with  a  timber  that  decays  beyond  any  use 
in  six  or  seven  years  and  a  mean  life  of  not  over 
five  years. 

Possibly  this  same  philosophy  may  be  applied  to 
the  action  of  creosote,  particularly  as  relates  to  the 
more  volatile  ingredients  popularly  supposed  to  be 
of  little  value.  Like  the  work  of  the  chloride,  it  may 
dp  valuable  work  while  it  is  evanescent  and  entirely 
disappears. 

The  primary  effect  of  this  may  be  somewhat  as 
the  disinfectant  used  in  cases  where  an  infectious 
disease  has  existed;  it  does  its  work  at  once  in  the 
fumigation  of  the  clothing  and  the  premises,  no 
repetition  being  needed. 


OVER   PRESSURE  'ON   TIMBER 

CHICAGO,  Sept.  17,  1906. 

MY  DEAR  ANGIER:  Your  welcome  letter  of  the 
10th  inst.  came  to  hand  to-day.  The  main  point  of 
your  letter  is  in  regard  to  effect  of  pressure  to  which 
the  wood  is  exposed  in  the  sealed  retort  under  high 
pressure.  I  do  not  think  that  wind  pressure  on  the 
standing  tree  is  a  parallel  at  all.  We  know  that 
overstrain  on  the  tree  results  in  what  are  termed 
"Wind-Shakes,"  but  that  they  arise  from  that  press- 
ure that  gives  place  to  inflow  of  a  liquid  far  beyond 
the  natural  capacity  to  absorb,  or  in  other  words, 
beyond  the  natural  voids  of  the  wood  we  cannot  see. 

One  of  the  first  experiments  made  on  my  small 
laboratory  plant  showed  that  with  300  pounds'  press- 
ure on  paving  blocks  of  similar  dimensions,  an  ex- 
cessive amount  was  injected,  so  much  in  excess  of 
the  known  capacity  of  water-logged  wood  and  in  ex- 
cess of  what  can  be  retained  that  the  solution  was  still 
flowing  out  twenty-four  to  forty-eight  hours  after 
removal  from  the  retort.  Of  course  this  effect  would 
be  magnified  by  the  short  length  of  the  blocks  over 
timber  of  considerable  length,  but  it  demonstrates 
the  effect  only  of  the  increased  degree,  the  principle 
and  the  effect  being  the  same. 

In  the  case  mentioned  where  the  blocks  were  sub- 
jected to  300  pounds'  pressure  to  impregnate,  the  ab- 
sorption was  58  per  cent,  of  the  volume  of  the  timber, 
while  the  average  absorptive  power  of  the  pine  is 
about  27  per  cent,  in  volume.  This  is  twice  what 
the  timber  will  hold,  consequently  the  over-plus  will 
waste  out. 

If  you  will  visit  some  of  the  Creosoting  Works 
where  piles  are  treated  under  150  pounds  to  180 
pounds  pressure,  you  will  see  the  same  effect  only 
in  less  degree. 

Similarly  in  treating  paving  blocks  where  the 
creosote  was  loaded  with  an  equal  amount  of  bitu- 
men, one  charge  was  impregnated  under  200,  the 
amount  ultimately  held  did  not  differ  greatly  except 


that  the  oil  could  be  pressed  out  of  the  end  by  the 
strength  of  the  hand  in  case  of  the  former,  while  the 
latter  was  quiescent. 

Over  twenty  years  ago  I  had  the  advice  of  Mr.  J. 
P.  Card  and  Mr.  Wellhouse,  the  patentee  of  the 
"Zinc-Tannin"  process,  as  my  tutors  in  the  business 
of  timber  impregnating,  the  latter  having  then  some 
eighteen  years'  experience  in  the  business.  As  a 
result  of  this  experience  was  the  iron-clad  rule,  "not 
to  exceed  100  pounds'  pressure."  Since  then  I  have 
found  a  tendency  to  try  to  hurry  absorption  by  using 
a  higher  pressure.  I  confess  to  allowing  the  trial 
but  in  no  case  has  the  result  been  found  appreciable 
as  to  expediting  absorption. 

I  would  call  attention  to  a  marked  characteristic 
of  ties  treated  under  this  rule  and  those  subsequently 
treated,  where  attempts  have  possibly  been  made  to 
hasten  the  operation  by  using  the  higher  pressure. 
The  former,  even  in  later  years  of  life,  eight  to 
twenty  years  after  treating  remain  sound  on  top 
but  with  one  main  check  in  the  middle  of  the  upper 
side,  while  those  of  the  latter  treating  part  into 
numerous  strips.  Of  course  this  might  have  pro- 
ceeded from  some  other  cause  but  the  presumption 
is  strong  in  my  mind,  as  I  know  of  no  other  cause  so 
likely  to  have  produced  this  particular  effect. 

I  cannot  help  as  to  the  Rueping  or  the  Lowry  pro- 
cesses you  mention,  where  as  high  as  180  pounds 
per  square  inch  is  used;  in  the  former,  however, 
the  required  pressure  has  been  reduced  to  a  point 
where  it  would  not  be  very  excessive  and  a  little 
damage  to  the  timber  may  be  allowable  if  thereby 
good  impregnation  and  cheap  treatment  is  secured. 

I  have  always  labored  to  treat  every  question 
candidly,  and  have  labored  many  years,  (finding  my- 
self) and  have  given  to  all  the  results  of  my  labors, 
but  when  anyone  tells  me  that  I  am  all  off  in  this 
matter  and  that  600  pounds  will  not  injure  the  tim- 
ber, I  feel  like  challenging  this  most  emphatically. 
The  old  rule  of  100  pounds  is  given  as  the  limit  of 
all  allowable  pressure,  the  presumption  being  that 

285 


the  100  pounds  will  not  materially  injure  the  fiber. 
I  have  tried  the  injection  of  oil  into  a  pile  with  an 
appliance  by  which  I  hoped  to  impregnate  it  at  the 
ground  surface  and  found  that  even  the  most  solid 
oak  would  split  at  150  pounds,  but  this  is  a  differ- 
ent condition. 

The  300  pounds  of  retort  pressure  may  not  mater- 
ially affect  the  strength  of  fiber,  but  it  is  the  after 
effect  developed  in  the  course  of  years  by  exposure 
to  the  elements,  where  the  effect  becomes  of  con- 
sequence. 

In  the  summing  up  of  the  whole  matter  of  timber 
impregnation,  I  think  that  it  resolves  itself  into  in- 
ducing rather  than  forcing,  and  that  success  largely 
depends  on  producing  conditions  by  which  the  timber 
will  take  up  the  oil  or  the  solution  by  the  action  of 
natural  laws. 

In  the  cases  herein  mentioned,  short  blocks  were 
used,  hence  the  effect  was  greater  than  with  long 
sticks,  yet  this  serves  to  demonstrate  the  principle 
in  question.  Under  the  500  Ibs.  pressure  the  volume 
was  increased  five  per  cent,  on  withdrawal,  while 
those  subjected  to  100  Ibs.  pressure  were  about  one 
per  cent.  In  both  cases  after  two  months'  drying  the 
volume  returned  to  near  the  original  volume. 

SAMUEL  M.  ROWE. 


Note:  In  creosoting  it  requires  from  150  to  180 
pounds  to  impregnate  even  the  most  open  timber 
when  in  the  shape  of  piles  m  and  even  this  pressure 
will  not  penetrate  sawed  dimension  timber  to  any 
considerable  depth,  and  in  no  case  is  the  timber 
permeated  to  the  extent  that  it  is  with  the  chloride 
treatment. 


THE  USE  OF  COMPRESSED  AIR  FOR  SHIFT- 
ING SOLUTIONS  AND  OILS. 

In  the  treatment  of  timber,  the  solutions  and  oils 
should  not  only  be  quickly  shifted  but  what  is  still 
more  important  is  that  they  should  not  be  scattered 
and  wasted  but  should  be  kept  at  all  times  so  that 
the  quantity  shall  be  easily  determined  at  each  stage 
of  the  operation. 

The  practice  of  dumping  from  the  retort  and  re- 
turning by  means  of  a  pump  is  not  only  clumsy  and 
uneconomic,  but  renders  measurement  less  prompt 
and  less  accurate.  By  means  of  compressed  air  it  is 
cheaper  and  more  promptly  done  and  less  subject 
to  error. 

The  notes  appended  are  from  good  authority,  and 
are  introduced  here,  as  well  as  a  very  useful  table 
for  computations  relative  to  air  machinery  and  ap- 
pliances. 

With  a  view  tq  increase  the  accuracy  of  tank 
measurement,  where  practicable  to  use  a  working 
tank  of  smaller  dimensions,  increased  accuracy  may 
be  secured  by  reducing  the  diameter. 

TEMPERATURE  OF  COMPRESSED  AIR. 

Atmosphere  at  32  deg.  F.  compressed  to  100  pounds 
pressure  per  sq.  inch  a  temperature  of  about  340 
degs.  at  point  of  discharge  from  compressor.  When 
discharged  into  a  reservoir  confined  in  a  pit  whose 
temperature  is  from  80  to  90  degrees,  it  loses  about 
40  degs.  As  applied  to  a  Timber  treating  plant  and 
used  for  forcing  back  oils  and  solutions,  it  is  from 
15  to  20  degs.  higher  than  atmospheric  pressure  when 
15  pounds  per  sq.  inch  is  used. 

ECONOMY  OF  COMPRESSOR  VS.  PUMP. 

Under  a  total  head  of  18  ft.  the  pump  is  the  cheap- 
est, 18  to  22  ft.  the  same,  22  ft.  and  above  Economy 
in  favor  of  the  Compressor. 

287 


INGERSOLL-RAND  CO. 

Table  showing  the  relative  volumes  of  compressed  air  at 
various  pressures. 


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A- 

INSPECTION    OF    TIES 
IN     TRACK. 


This  form  is  intended  for  use  where  twrted  ties 
ire  used  pa^lj  or  wholly.  The  first  column  to 
cov*r  rtbole  section,  1-1-3  up  to  i  0,000  if  dcsirerf, 
e-qual  to  two  or  three  miles. 

This  pajg«e  to  give  abbrevietien  of  Twines  of 
timber. 

SAM'L  M.  ROW?,  C.  f. 
Oef.tf  I«OC  . 

CONDITION: 

Columns  7,  8,  9,   10  and    »  i,  degree  of  deary. 


CODE 

Klr<9  Of  TIMBER 

COPE 

KlW)  OF  UMBCT 

A 

Asfc.  Whi'fe 

Lw 

locust,  Whife 

Ai 

Ash,  Red 

0 

Oyk.  W7rii> 

• 

BeecH. 

Ho 

0*k,  I?e«Z 

c 

Co</ar,whi'Ar 

Bo 

04k,  Black 

Re 

Ce<iar.  KeA 

Wo 

0.rK,  Wtffei" 

Ck. 

Chestnut 

3d 

Oak,  Bols  <3e  Are 

Cy 

Cypre$s,WltUe 

Po 

o«k,  po»f 

Cr 

Cyfr«J,  Re<£ 

P 

PiTif,  Meunfairt 

Cw 

Cettrnw0o«2 

SI 

Pme,  Shorf  Leaf 

n 

ci»7,  fte«t 

LI 

fine  Long  Leaf 

Wl 

FI-m.Hl'ekerY 

LP 

Pine,  Lodfe  PoTe 

F 

F/r.  Dowlas 

PC 

Pecctt 

• 

Gw  «.  Re* 

Pm 

Pinon 

6w 

Cwin.WhTfe 

S 

Sytf*wore 

He 

Ki'cKot-  y.  Sh»l!h«rK 

SP 

Spruce,  W>iiVe 

HP 

Hickory.  Pignut 

Si- 

Spruce,  Red 

H 

Herfoek 

T 

Tamar*ck 

Hi 

Hackberry 

Bw 

WtTnvt,  Black 

i_ 

U««f.BL«ek 

Wvy 

WalTwt,  White 

28D 


B. 

INSPECTION    OF    TIES 


SIM 


H 


290 


INSPECTION  OF  TIES  IN  TRACK. 
RECORD  OF  RESULTS. 

No  matter  what  theories  may  be  promulgated  as 
to  value  of  treatment  of  timber  for  prolongation  of 
life,  or  how  plausible  these  may  be,  after  all,  the  facts 
are  what  count  and  are  conclusive.  Many  attempts 
have  been  and  are  being  made  to  determine  the  value 
of  each  method,  but  so  far  they  are  desultory  and  in 
a  measure,  unsatisfactory. 

The  subjoined  forms  are  offered  that  some  con- 
venient and  concise  system  may  be  adopted  at  small 
cost  of  time  and  money,  by  which  a  record  may  be 
kept  that  will  secure  the  desired  result. 

The  inspection  and  record  may  be  made  on  short 
representative  sections  of  the  line  from  year  to  year 
by  any  competent  section  foreman.  The  section  fore- 
man who  is  competent  to  say  when  a  tie  should  be 
removed  should  be  competent  to  make  the  inspec- 
tion. 

One  or  two  sections  of  one  mile  or  even  less  should 
give  the  data  desired  for  any  line  of  railroad.  This 
would  give  some  idea  of  the  life  of  untreated  ties 
which  we  heretofore  have  only  by  guess. 

The  blanks  "B"  should  be  securely  wire  bound 
at  the  top  on  stiff  backing  fifty  in  each  pad  on  the 
back  of  which  sheet  "A"  shall  be  pasted  so  as  to  be 
easily  refered  to. 

The  sheets  "B"  should  not  be  detached  and  the  pad 
should  be  returned  intact. 

It  is  believed  that  to  secure  the  most  accurate 
record  that  all  treated  ties  should  be  plainly  stamped 
and  notwithstanding  there  has  been  much  controversy 
in  regard  to  the  best  method  of  doing,  we  still  believe 
that  the  stamping  hammer  shown  on  Page  37  is  the 
best.  The  cost  of  stamping  at  the  works  before  the 
charge  goes  into  the  retort  is  small  and  has  the  ad- 
vantage of  avoiding  the  neglect  or  imperfect  per- 
formance of  this  necessary  part  of  the  operation. 
See  Section  12,  page  24. 

291 


It  is  easy  to  see  that  the  value  of  any  treatment  can 
only  be  judged  by  careful  record  of  conditions  from 
year  to  year. 

At  this  writing,  no  or  very  little  record  is  found  and 
even  this  is  discredited  by  many  writers  who  possess 
but  limited  knowledge  of  the  facts,  and  seem  to  be  in 
too  many  cases  impelled  by  self-seeking  motives, 
and  too  often  accompanied  by  little  or  no  practical 
knowledge.  Now,  how  is  it  possible  for  those  desir- 
ing the  facts,  and  how  is  it  possible  to  know  them 
without  an  honest  and  accurate  inspection  long  con- 
tinued? 

It  is  believed  that  any  writer  on  this  subject  who 
has  the  good  of  the  work  at  heart  will  avoid  misrep- 
resentation, secure  in  the  belief  that  time  will  vindi- 
cate their  position  and  can  afford  to  wait  while  those 
who  write  without  knowledge  will  find  their  record 
marked  with  signs  of  their  mistake  and  a  revelation 
of  their  motives. 

THE  ZINC  CRESOTE  (RUTGER)  PROCESS. 
Joseph  B.  Card. 

It  is  the  desire  of  the  writer  to  call  attention  in 
this  article: 

First :  To  the  zinc-creosote  process  which  is  used 
extensively  in  preserving  railway  ties  for  the  Prus- 
sian Railway  Service,  and  to  some  extent  in  France. 

Second:  to  an  inexpensive  method  for  agitating 
chloride  of  zinc  and  creosote  pil  while  under  pres- 
sure, which  will  enable  the  use  of  the  above  men- 
tioned process  in  this  country  at  a  very  reasonable 
cost. 

In  1872  the  German  chemists  agreed  that  by  adding 
a  small  amount  of  creosote  oil  containing  carbolic 
acid,  to  the  chloride  of  zinc  solution,  much  better 
results  would  be  obtained  in  the  preservation  of  ties 
than  by  the  use  of  the  chloride  of  zinc  solution  only. 

As  both  the  individual  merits  of  chloride  of  zinc 
and  creosote  oil  were  well  known,  a  combination  of 
the  two  solutions  was  recommended,  based  upon  the 
fact  that  the  carbolic  acid  contained  in  the  tar  oil  is 


soluble  in  considerable  quantities  in  a  chloride  of 
zinc  solution,  thereby  the  impregnation  fluid  could 
be  made  to  penetrate  more  easily  into  the  interior  be- 
cause with  the  addition  of  carbolic  acid  it  has  the 
capacity  in  a  degree  to  dissolve  the  resinous  con- 
tents of  the  wood.  This  cannot  be  accomplished  with 
the  pure  solution  of  chloride  of  zinc. 

In  a  paper  by  Mr.  A.  Schneidt,  formerly  Superin- 
tendent of  the  Imperial  Railways,  Alsace  Lorraine, 
which  was  published  in  part  by  O.  Chanute,  C.  E. 
the  following  theory  is  advanced: 

"In  the  watery  solution  of  the  chloride  of  zinc, 
the  carbolic  (Phenols)  acid  contained  in  the  tar  oil 
added,  is  partly  dissolved;  and  in  this  diluted  form 
it  penetrates  the  cellular  tissue  of  the  ligneous  body 
far  more  readily  and  surely  than  the  less  readily  fluid 
tar  oil/' 

"The  presence  of  carbolic  acid  also  produces  a 
potential  solubility  in  the  resinous  constituents  of  the 
wood,  whereby  the  chloride  of  zinc  solution  is  better 
enabled  to  penetrate  the  fatty  resinous  woody  strata, 
and  into  the  heart/' 

"In  the  judgment  of  chemists  it  may  also  be  as- 
sumed that  owing  to  the  greatly  attenuated  degree  of 
the  chloride  of  zinc  solution,  and  in  the  presence  of 
the  carbolic  acid,  a  basic  zinc  "phenylate"  is  formed 
from  the  chloride  of  zinc  oxide,  through  the  agency 
of  the  bases  of  the  salts  which  occur  in  wood  ashes; 
and  that  this  "phenylate"  of  zinc,  being  insoluble 
in  water,  favors  duration  by  opposing  the  leaching 
out  of  the  impregnated  ties. 

"The  preservative  action  of  the  dissolved  carbolic 
acid  is  decidedly  more  potent  than  that  of  the  chlo- 
ride of  zinc;  and  as  carbolic  acid  is  also  much  less 
soluble  in  water  than  chloride  of  zinc  the  addition 
of  a  small  quantity  of  tar  oil  containing  carbolic  acid 
will  also  arrest  the  decay  of  the  wood  which  absorbs 
it.  The  heavy  oils  of  the  added  tar  oil  do  not  as 
readily  penetrate  the  wood  as  the  more  fluid  solu- 
tions of  chloride  of  zinc  when  reinforced  with  the 
dissolved  carbolic  acid;  the  former  oils  remain  in 

294 


the  outer  woody  layers  of  the  tie,  and  form  a  very 
thin  stratum,  more  or  less  obstructive  to  the  entrance 
of  water." 

In  1874  Julius  Rutger  who  operates  most  of  the 
tie  treating  plants  in  Germany,  introduced  for  the 
first  time  what  is  known  to-day  as  the  Rutger  pro- 
cess. 

At  the  present  writing  the  process  consists  of  in- 
jecting the  equivalent  of  not  less  than  one-third  of 
a  pound  of  the  dry  salts  of  chloride  of  zinc  per  cubic 
foot,  and  in  addition  to  the  four  and  a  half  pounds 
of  creosote  of  oil  per  tie.  At  the  expiration  of  the 
first  ten  years  after  the  process  was  introduced,  the 
Prussian  Railways  began  to  see  that  the  results  ob- 
tained from  ties  treated  by  the  combination  of  chlo- 
ride of  zinc  and  creosote  were  giving  much  better 
satisfaction  than  ties  treated  with  chloride  of  zinc 
alone,  and  the  new  process  rapidly  grew  in  favor, 
so  much  so  that  at  the  present  time  all  of  the  pine 
and  beech  ties  used  throughout  Germany  are  zinc 
creosoted.  The  average  life  of  ties  treated  by  the 
Rutger  process  on  the  Prussian  Railways  is  from 
twelve  to  sixteen  years. 

The  French  State  Ry.  at  the  International  Rail- 
way Congress  in  1900  reported  a  life  of  sixteen  years 
for  zinc  creosoted  beech  ties.  The  records  of  the 
road  show  that  ties  treated  by  the  Rutger  process  last 
25  per  cent,  longer  than  those  treated  with  the  chlo- 
ride of  zinc  only. 

The  Rutger  process  was  introduced  in  this  country 
in  1904,  by  the  Chicago  Tie  Preserving  Co.,  at  Paris, 
111.,  on  the  Big  Four  Ry.  The  use  of  this  process, 
(when  the  solution  is  not  agitated  while  under  pres- 
sure) necessitates  the  importing  of  a  special  oil  made 
by  Rutger,  in  order  to  obtain  a  mixture  which  will 
not  separate  during  the  time  the  pressure  is  applied 
to  the  ties.  This  has  been  found  to  be  expensive 
and  at  times  hard  to  obtain. 

This  objection  can  be  overcome  by  the  use  of  a 
centrifugal  pump  the  suction  being  taken  from  the 
top  of  the  treating  cylinder  and  the  discharge  en* 

295 


tering  the  bottom,  being  distributed  uniformly  the 
entire  length  of  the  cylinder  by  means  of  a  perfor- 
ated pipe.  The  pressure  on  both  the  suction  and  dis- 
charge side  of  the  pump  is  the  same  as  the  pressure 
on  the  treating  cylinder,  therefore  very  little  power 
is  required  to  handle  large  .quantities  of  the  mixture. 
A  perfect  agitation  can  be  obtained  in  this  manner, 
and  any  good  grade  of  oil  can  be  injected  into  the 
wood  together  with  the  chloride  of  zinc  solution,  re- 
gardless of  the  specific  gravity  of  either. 

As  it  has  been  demonstrated  beyond  any  doubt 
both  in  Germany  and  France,  that  a  small  amount 
of  creosote  oil  injected  simultaneously  with  the 
chloride  of  zinc  solution,  will  increase  the  life  of  a 
zinc  treated  tie  25  per  cent,  it  can  be  readily  seen 
that  the  small  increased  cost  of  the  zinc  creosote 
process  will  more  than  pay. 

The  records  in  the  United  States  compare  very 
favorably  with  the  German  records  where  the  chlo- 
ride of  zinc  process  is  used  and  it  is  reasonable  to 
assume  that  by  adding  five  pounds  of  creosote  oil 
per  tie  to  the  chloride  of  zinc  solution,  the  same  in- 
creased length  of  life  will  be  obtained  in  this  country. 

The  Santa  Fe  Railway  shows  eleven  to  twelve 
years'  life  for  Burnettized  ties,  and  the  Chicago  Tie 
Preserving  Co.  shows  about  the  same  on  over  6,000,- 
ooo  hemlock  ties  treated  for  The  Chicago,  Rock  Isl- 
and &  Pacific  Ry.  On  the  Chicago,  Eastern  Illinois 
Ry.,  over  2,500,000  red  and  black  oak  ties  have  been 
treated  by  the  Chicago  Tie  ^Preserving  Co.  in  the 
past  eight  years  about  950  ties  have  been  removed 
for  decay  to  Nov.  ist,  1906;  undoubtedly  the  average 
life  of  the  treated  oak  ties  on  the  road  will  be  not  less 
than  twelve  years. 

If  the  life  of  these  ties  can  be  increased  25  per 
cent,  by  the  addition  of  a  small  amount  of  oil  the 
extra  cost  will  more  than  pay. 

The  cost  of  a  zinc  creosoted  tie  is  but  a  trifle  over 
one-half  the  cost  of  a  creosoted  tie  which  contains 
from  twenty  to  twenty-five  pounds  of  oil,  and  the 
results  will  be  the  same,  as  the  creosoted  tie  in  the 

296 


United  States  will  fail  from  mechanical  wear  in 
fifteen  years  the  same  as  the  zinc  creosoted  tie. 

It  has  never  been  demonstrated  either  in  this  or 
the  foreign  countries  that  the  creosoted  ties  where 
feeble  doses  of  oil  were  injected  have  given  good 
results. 

A  report  by  M.  V.  Harzenstein  showing  the  amount 
of  oil  injected  per  tie,  and  the  average  length  of  life 
obtained  from  treated  ties  on  about  one-half  of  the 
English  roads  was  presented  to  the  International 
Ry.  Congress  in  1895.  At  that  time  the  practice  on 
the  various  roads  was  to  inject  from  seven  to  ten 
pounds  of  oil  per  cubic  foot,  where  ten  pounds  of 
oil  per  cubic  foot  was  injected  the  life  obtained  was 
from  sixteen  to  twenty  years,  where  from  seven  to 
eight  pounds  per  cubic  foot  was  injected  the  average 
life  was  from  twelve  to  fifteen  years. 

The  life  of  the  treated  tie  in  the  foreign  countries 
is  materially  increased  by  the  protection  given  it 
from  mechanical  wear. 

Since  1895  the  English  roads  have  further  in- 
creased the  amount  of  oil  injected  per  tie,  at  the 
present  time  the  practice  is  to  inject  from  thirty  to 
thirty-five  per  tie. 

The  French  inject  still  larger  amounts  of  oil  than 
the  English,  and  obtain  better  results.  In  a  letter 
from  the  Western  Ry.  of  France  published  by  O. 
Chanute  in  Bulletin  78  American  Ry.  Engineers  & 
M.  of  W.  Association,  ties  on  the  road  treated  with 
from  twenty-six  to  thirty-three  pounds  of  oil  per 
tie  failed  in  twelve  years.  The  present  practice  con- 
sists of  injecting  48.4  pounds  per  tie  as  a  minimum. 

Creosoted  ties  have  been  sent  to  this  country  from 
England  at  various  times  for  exhibitive  purposes. 
The  dating  nail  showing  that  they  had  been  in  service 
twenty  to  twenty-five  years.  In  no  case  to  my  knowl- 
edge is  the  information  given  as  to  the  amount  of 
oil  originally  injected.  An  examination  of  any  of 
these  ties  v/ill  show  that  a  perfect  penetration  has 
been  obtained  throughout  the  tie.  As  the  foreign 
practice  on  treating  ties  is  to  withdraw  the  air  from 

297 


the  wood  before  introducing  the  oil,  those  familiar 
with  the  operation  of  tie  treating  plants  know  that 
the  injection  of  oil  must  be  pushed  to  refusal  before 
a  thorough  penetration  is  obtained.  Therefore  it  is 
reasonably  sure  that  these  ties  originally  contained 
between  thirty  to  sixty  pounds  of  oil  per  tie,  as  there 
are  very  few  woods  suitable  for  treating,  where 
thirty  pounds  per  tie  cannot  be  injected  when  the 
air  is  removed  from  the  wood. 

One  record  of  failure  where  small  doses  of  oil 
were  used  took  place  on  the  C,  B.  &  Q.  Ry.  In  1868 
and  1869  20,000  creosoted  ties  were  laid  on  the  New 
Boston  Branch  of  this  road  and  failed  in  seven 
years.  They  were  treated  by  the  Seeley  process,  and 
contained  from  three  to  four  pounds  of  oil  per  cubic 
foot.  The  failure  was  due  to  dry  rot  in  the  interior 
of  the  tie,  the  ouside  of  the  tie  being  sound.  This 
treatment  failed  also  on  the  Chicago,  Rock  Island  & 
Pacific  Ry.  That  a  very  good  penetration  was  ob- 
tained by  the  Seeley  process  was  demonstrated  at 
the  St.  Louis  Fair  by  a  similar  process. 

Red  and  black  oak  ties  will  decay  in  the  center  first 
in  most  all  cases,  for  this  reason  it  is  necessary  that 
the  anticeptic  solutions  should  be  thoroughly  dis- 
tributed throughout  the  tie.  Where  chloride  of  zinc 
or  zinc  creoste  are  used  this  can  be  accomplished  at 
a  reasonable  cost,  but  where  creosote  oil  is  used  the 
cost  will  be  large  if  a  thorough  penetration  is  ob- 
tained, if  a  thorough  penetration  is  not  obtained  in 
creosoting  oak  ties  then  either  the  Burnettized  or 
the  zinc  creosoted  tie  will  give  better  results. 

It  has  been  suggested  that  the  creosote  be  injected 
without  first  removing  the  air  from  the  wood,  and 
afterwards  the  surplus  oil  withdrawn  from  the  wood 
by  means  of  the  vacuum  pump.  A  thorough  pene- 
tration can  be  obtained  in  this  way  only  where  ties 
are  exceptionally  well  seasoned,  but  where  they  are 
well  seasoned  they  refuse  to  give  up  but  a  very  small 
portion  of  the  oil  injected,  where  the  vacuum  is  after- 
wards applied. 

298 


Von  Schrenk— 1902: 

"This  is  a  red  oak  tie  into  which  the  tar  oil  has 
penetrated  very  nicely  into  the  heart  of  the  tie,  as 
it  has  also  in  the  next  one.  By  using  a  special  kind 
of  tar  oil,  one  of  the  same  specific  gravity  as  the 
zinc  chloride  solution,  the  process  is  without  question 
very  much  superior  to  the  zinc-chloride  treatment, 
but  it  is  still  in  its  infancy. 

Here  is  another,  red  oak  (fig.  18).  You  see  the 
tar  oil  and  zinc  chloride  have  penetrated  to  the  heart. 
These  photographs  were  made  from  middle  section 
of  the  tie. 

Here  is  a  very  good  one  showing  the  same  thing. 
Here  the  tar  oil  has  penetrated  for  a  considerable 
distance.  This  treatment  will  probably  make  these 
ties  last  longer  than  zinc  chloride  alone,  because  it 
will  prevent  the  reaching  out  of  the  salts." 

These  ties  are  treated  by  the  Chicago  Tie  Pre- 
serving Co. 

CHICAGO,  Jan.  7,  1906. 

Mr.  T.  W.  Calvert,  C.  E., 

Chief  Engineer,  C.,  B.  &  Q.  Ry.t  Chicago. 
DEAR  SIR:  The  ties  mentioned  in  the  letter  en- 
closed of  Robt.  J.  McClure  were  treated  by  th*  Seely 
process  and  contained  from  three  to  four  pounds 
of  creosote  oil  per  cu.  ft.  They  also  failed  on  the 
C.,  R.  I.  &  P.  Ry.  in  about  the  same  time  as  on  the 
C,  B.  &  Q.  Yours  truly, 

J.  B.  CARD. 

CHICA«P  BURLINGTON   &  QUINCY   RY.    Co.,   CHIEF 
ENGINEER'S  OFFICE. 

CHICAGO,  Aug.  28,  1882. 
0.  Chanute,  Esq.,  C.  E. 

DEAR  SIR:  In  answer  to  inquiry  concerning  the 
preservation  of  timber  I  have  from  Mr.  Bislet  that 
20,000  creosoted  hemlock  ties  were  laid  on  the  New 
Boston  Branch  of  the  C,  B.  &  Q.  Ry.,  in  1868  and 

299 


'69.  These  were  all  taken  out  before  they  had  been 
in  the  track  seven  years.  A  hard  shell  from  one- 
half  inch  to  three-fourths  inch  in  thickness  was 
formed,  but  the  interior  crumbled  from  dry  rot. 
f  A  tank  of  iron  was  put  up  at  Aurora  in  1870,  and 
ties  and  plank  were  treated  with  creosote.  These 
ties  lasted  about  the  same  time  as  those  on  the  New 
Boston  Branch,  but  the  plank  which  was  used  in  car 
floors  and  in  platforms  was  removed  after  a  few 
months  on  account  of  injury  to  merchandise  coming 
in  contact  with  it. 

I  regret  that  I  cannot  give  you  details  of  the  pro- 
cess of  treatment. 

The  men  say  that  the  liquid  was  boiled,  but  that 
an  attempt  was  made  at  producing-  a  vacuum  or  par- 
tial vacuum  in  the  tank  before  the  admission  of  the 
liquid.  They  do  not  remember  the  proportion  of 
creosote  to  each  tie.  Yours  truly, 

(Signed)  ROBT.  J.  McCujRE. 

STEAMING  TIMBER  BEFORE  IMPREGNAT- 
ING. 

I  quote  from  letter  of  A.  A.  Robinson,  President 
Mexican  Central  Railroad,  April  igth : 

"From  the  very  nature  of  the  case,  it  seems  to 
me  that  the  idea  that  the  ties  must  ^  be  seasoned  is 
fallacious  for  the  reason  that  the  chief  point  in  se- 
curing good  treatment  is  to  draw  from  the  timber 
the  juices,  saps  and  acids  contained  in  the  wood,  and 
it  seems  to  me  this  can  be  more  rapidly  done  before 
they  are  dried  out  and  while  they  are  in  their  liquid 
state."^ 

I  think  that  the  observation  of  many  ^  experienced 
operators  will  coincide  with  me  in  saying  that  the 
steaming  is  an  essential  part  of  the  process,  not  only 
as  to  the  effect  on  the  timber,  extracting  the  juices 
and  toughening  the  fiber  of  the  wood  and  in  a  gen- 
eral way  preparing  it  to  absorb  the  chemicals  ^what- 
ever  they  may  be.  While  dry  ties  may  be  desirable, 
in  practice  dry  ties  or  ties  of  uniform  dryness  can 

300 


rarely  be  secured.  Three  hours  of  steaming  at 
twenty  pounds  pressure  will  not  injure  the  fiber  and 
the  general  condition  of  the  whole  charge  will  be 
measurably  uniform  and  at  the  same  time  in  fit  con- 
dition to  absorb  the  chemical  when  exposed  to  it  in 
the  retort. 

When  the  steam  is  discharged  and  the  vacuum 
drawn  the  timber  is  about  as  devoid  of  air  as  it  is 
possible,  the  pores  bein<r  filled  with  expanded  vapor 
and  a  remnant  of  air,  possibly,  and  in  much  better 
condition  to  absorb  the  solution  than  it  can  possibly 
be  when  the  ties  are  dry  and  the  vacuum  alone  is 
relied  upon  to  extract  the  air  from  them.  We  do  not 
suppose  in  either  case  that  the  air  is  all  withdrawn 
but  we  can  be  assured  that  the  condition  of  the  tim- 
ber is  much  more  favorable  for  impregnation  when 
exposed  after  steaming  and  vacuum  in  the  former 
case. 

When  ties  are  dry  and  exposed  to  the  vacuum  a 
considerable  amount  of  air  will  still  remain  in  the 
tie  and  when  this  is  compressed  by  the  forced  en- 
trance of  the  solution  it  will  on  removal  of  the 
pressure,  be  again  forced  to  the  surface. 

Ties  thus  treated  are  giving  off  more  or  less  for 
many  hours  after  removal  from  tbe  retort  all  of 
which  goes  to  waste,  whether  chloride,  oil  or  what- 
soever. 

It  is  undeniable  that  steamed  timber  will  bear 
railwear  better  and  it  is  also  true  that  some  timbers 
cannot  be  impregnated  without  the  use  of  steam. 


The  following  article  for  the  Wood  Preservers' 
Association  is  deemed  worthy  of  reproduction  in  this 
connection.  Octave  Chanute  C.  E.,  is  one  of  the 
highest  authorities  on  the  subject  treated,  and  while 
the  author  may  differ  with  him  on  some  minor  points, 
yet  the  article  is  all  the  more  valuable,  serving  as  a 
basis  of  further  investigation. 

(Published  by  permission.) 

THE  STEAMING  OF  TIMBER. 

By  O.  Chanute. 

Having  been  asked  to  prepare  a  paper  upon  the 
Steaming  of  Timber  I  think  that  it  is  well  to  begin 
with  a  glance  at  the  evolution  of  that  process. 

The  original  method  of  applying  antiseptics  for 
the  preservation  of  wood  was  by  soaking  it  in  solu- 
tions, chiefly  those  of  mineral  salts,  and  that  was  the 
way  in  which  ship  timber  for  the  "Wooden  Walls 
of  England"  was  treated  with  fair  results  over  a 
century  ago.  With  the  opening  of  the  railway  era 
more  expeditious  methods  were  called  for  and  in 
1831  Breant,  a  Frenchman,  was  the  first  to  force 
antiseptics  into  wood  by  hydraulic  pressure.  He 
used  a  closed,  vertical  cylinder  in  which  the  wood 
was  placed  upright  on  end  and  pressure  was  applied 
with  a  pump.  He  indicated,  moreover,  that  better 
penetration  might  be  obtained  by  producing  a  par- 
tial vacuum  in  the  cylinder  before  the  admission  of 
the  antiseptics.  Those  which  he  employed  were  sul- 
phate of  iron,  linseed  oil,  and  a  mixture  of  linseed 
oil  and  resin. 

Burnett  patented  the  injection  of  chloride  of  zinc 
in  1838.  He  first  employed  the  soaking  method  but 
subsequently  he  used  pressure  in  closed  cylinders. 
Bethel  in  the  same  year  patented  the  use  of  creo- 
sote and  used  the  Breant  method,  but  his  cylinder  was 
horizontal  and  he  produced  a  partial  vacuum  therein 
before  admitting  the  creosote.  His  apparatus  and  his 
methods  were  substantially  the  modern  ones  and  have 


continued  in  use  to  this  day,  but  some  difficulties  were 
found  when  operating  upon  any  but  thoroughly  sea- 
soned timber  and  in  1846  Pain  introduced  the  process 
of  previous  steaming.  His  method  for  the  injection  of 
sulphate  of  iron  and  sulphate  of  barium,  consisted  in: 

ist.  Steaming  fifteen  minutes.  2nd.  Vacuum  for 
ten  minutes.  3rd.  Introduction  of  antiseptic.  4th. 
Pressure  of  eight  to  ten  atmospheres,  the  latter  being 
continued  forty  to  fifty  minutes. 

This  was  thought  to  be  a  notable  improvement, 
more  especially  when  operating  upon  imperfectly  or 
half  seasoned  timber  and  it  rapidly  grew  in  favor. 

In  1857  Messrs.  Lege  and  Fleury-Pironnett  pat- 
ented an  apparatus  for  injecting  railway  ties  with 
sulphate  of  copper  by  the  steaming-vacuum-pressure 
process  and  tried  a  great  many  intelligent  experi- 
ments upon  fresh  cut,  half  seasoned  and  fully  sea- 
soned wood  of  various  species,  to  establish  the  exact 
advantage  of  each  step  in  the  process.  A  commission 
to  examine  these  results,  appointed  by  the  Agricul- 
tural Society  of  Sarte  (a  French  Department),  tried 
further  experiments  and  thus  summed  up  the  as- 
certained advantages  of  steaming. 

"Wood,  in  seasoning,  loses  a  good  deal  of  weight 
and  yet  shrinks  but  little.  The  sap  ducts  lose  the 
evaporated  water  and  their  walls  become  incrusted 
with  the  non-volatile  portions  of  the  sap,  among 
which  is  vegetable  albumen,  constituting  the  princi- 
pal cause  of  decay.  The  albumen  dried  at  ordinary 
temperature,  hardens  into  a  horn-like  substance,  but 
the  application  of  moisture  and  gentle  heat  again  dis- 
solves it  and  thus  re-establishes  the  continuity  of  the 
sap  ducts.  It  is  important  to  reach  this  result  with 
the  least  possible  amount  of  condensed  water,  so  as 
to  leave  as  many  voids  as  practicable  to  be  permeated 
by  the  antiseptic  solution.  This  is  best  accomplished 
by  steaming  at  temperatures  from  212°  to  240°^. 
for  ten  minutes  to  three  hours  according  to  the  kind 
and  condition  of  the  wood,  and  by  following  this 
up  for  some  ten  minutes  with  as  great  a  vacuum  as 
possible.  The  steam  penetrates  and  dampens  all  the 


fibers  of  the  wood;  it  heats  and  swells  it  consider- 
ably; it  carries  off,  moreover,  by  a  sort  of  washing, 
various  volatile  or  soluble  substances,  and  yet  it 
condenses  in  the  wood  in  such  small  quantities  that 
the  increase  in  weight  is  negligible  and  sometimes 
more  than  overbalanced  by  the  weight  of  the  matters 
extracted." 

This,  it  will  be  noted,  was  predicated  upon  the  in- 
jection of  sulphate  of  copper.  It  is  believed  that 
steaming  before  the  vacuum  was  then  universally 
adopted  in  Europe  by  all  the  establishments  which 
injected  mineral  salts,  but  those  injecting  creosote 
early  recognized  that  the  small  amount  of  condensed 
steam  left  in  the  wood  resisted  to  some  extent  the 
injection  of  this  oily  substance,  and  the  writer  be- 
lieves that  the  present  practice  in  Europe  is  not  to 
steam  wood  intended  to  be  creosoted.  In  England, 
the  timber,  much  of  which  has  been  rafted,  is  very 
thoroughly  air  seasoned.  In  France  and  Germany 
ties  are  stacked  in  open  piles  for  ten  or  twelve 
months,  during  which  some  sixteen  to  twenty-five 
per  cent,  of  the  weight  is  lost  and  then  they  are  in 
many  cases  dessicated  further  in  drying  ovens  (not 
dry  kilns),  during  which  latter  process  they  lose 
three  or  four  per  cent,  more  of  weight  before  being 
transferred  warm  into  the  creosoting  cylinder. 
Another  method  is  to  boil  the  ties  in  hot  creosote 
so  as  to  evaporate  the  sap  and  make  room  for  the 
creosote  which  is  injected  by  pressure.  ^  This  is  per- 
haps the  best  method,  laboratory  experiments  show- 
ing that  there  is  still  eighteen  to  twenty  per  cent, 
of  moisture  in  so-called  thoroughly  air  seasoned  tim- 
ber. 

For  wood  to  be  injected  with  mineral  salts  steam- 
ing is  generally  resorted  to  in  Europe.  These  salts 
being  in  watery  solutions  the  condensed  steam  is  not 
objectionable  as  it  merely  weakens  the  solution, 
which  is  made  a  trifle  stronger  than  would  other- 
wise be  the  case. 

In  the  United  States  Hayford  took  out  various 
patents  for  steaming  in  1859-1870,  1872  and  1877 

804 


which  were  hailed  as  great  improvements  and  went 
into  extensive  use  even  for  creosoting.  For  a  time 
every  wood  preserver  steamed  before  injection  and 
it  is  only  within  the  last  two  or  three  years  that  the 
question  has  been  raised  whether  better  penetration 
with  mineral  salts  cannot  be  obtained  by  omitting 
steaming  altogether. 

The  writer  having  tried  hundreds  of  experiments 
during  the  first  ten  or  fifteen  years  of  his  practice 
in  the  injection  of  mineral  salts,  believes  that  whether 
it  is  advisable  to  steam  or  not  to  steam  depends  al- 
together upon  the  condition  of  the  wood  when  it 
becomes  necessary  to  inject  it.  The  best  practice  is 
to  season  it  thoroughly,  but  customers  are  generally 
impatient  and  urgently  require  the  treated  wood  for 
immediate  use.  So  the  operator  has  often  the  al- 
ternative of  either  incommoding  his  client  or  of  not 
doing  the  best  work  of  which  he  is  capable.  He  not 
infrequently  unloads  timber  on  the  ground  at  his  own 
expense  in  order  to  season  it  a  little  more. 

Wood  structure  generally  contains  30  to  50  per 
cent,  of  cells  by  volume.  In  the  living  tree  these 
cells  are  filled  with  sap,  and  the  problem  is  how  to 
replace  this  sap  with  some  preservative  substance. 
In  rafting  a  small  part  is  washed  out  by  diffusion 
and  in  air  seasoning  perhaps  over  one-half  of  the 
watery  portion  of  the  sap  slowly  evaporates.  It  is 
obvious  enough  that  in  order  to  inject  satisfactory 
amounts  of  any  antiseptic  a  place  for  this  must  be 
found  in  the  wood,  and  if  the  sap  cells  be  filled  with 
san  or  with  water,  it  is  clearly  impossible  to  fill  them 
with  another  fluid.  To  clear  the  sap  cells,  therefore, 
we  must  produce  some  motive  force  inside  of  the 
wood.  This  motive  power  may  consist  of  steam  gen- 
erated inside  of  the  wood,  or  it  may  consist  of  ^air 
which  has  replaced  so  much  of  the  watery  portion 
of  the  sap  as  has  evaporated  in  seasoning,  which  air 
is  heated  and  expanded  by  steaming. 

Proceeding  upon  this  theory  the  writer  tried  very 
many  experiments  with  various  species  of  wood, 
fresh  cut,  quarter  seasoned,  half  seasoned  or  wholly 


seasoned,  by  steaming  them  various  lengths  of  time, 
they  being  weighed  in  and  out  at  each  stage  of  the 
operations.  He  found  that  where  the  wood  was  fresh 
cut  and  full  of  watery  sap  it  required  no  less  than 
eight  hours  of  steaming  at  twenty  pounds  pressure 
(258° F.)  to  bring  the  center  of  a  tie  six  by  eight 
inches  section  to  the  boiling  point  or  2I2°F.,  at  which 
the  sap  would  begin  to  generate  steam  so  as  to  drive 
out  some  of  the  watery  portion.  It  is  understood 
that  the  creosoters  who  operate  upon  fresh  cut  or 
waterlogged  piles  are  sometimes  compelled  to  steam 
for  twenty-four  hours,  at  more  than  twenty  pounds 
pressure,  in  order  to  clear  the  wood  for  injection.  In 
that  case  it  is  probably  safe  to  begin  the  operation 
with  steam  as  high  as  thirty  pounds  pressure  (275°F) 
because  the  water  in  the  wood  which  first  evaporates 
protects  the  fiber  from  immediate  injury,  but  towards 
the  close  of  the  operation  the  pressure  should  not  ex- 
ceed twenty  pounds,  which  has  been  found  the  point 
(258°F.)  at  which  small  injury  to  the  strength  of 
the  fiber  is  likely  to  result. 

With  half  seasoned  ties,  i.  e.,  air-dried  from  four 
to  six  months,  according  to  the  time  of  the  year, 
the  writer  ascertained  the  perhaps  surprising  fact 
that  more  sap  could  be  extracted  by  one  to  three 
hours'  steaming  than  could  be  gotten  ^out  of  fresh 
cut  ties  by  three  to  five  hours  of  steaming  at  twenty 
pounds  pressure.  Of  course  there  was  more  of  the 
watery  portion  of  the  sap  in  the  fresh  cut  ties  than 
in  those  half  seasoned,  but  it  could  not  be  extracted 
satisfactorily  without  much  longer  steaming.  It  was 
concluded  that  when  the  wood  was  half  seasoned 
some  air  had  flowed  in  and  fthat  this,  being  moder- 
ately hastened  by  the  steaming,  expanded  so  as  to 
drive  out  a  good  deal  of  the  remaining  sap,  and  this 
view  was  confirmed  by  the  examination  of  the  ties 
immediately  upon  their  withdrawal  from  the  treat- 
ing cylinder,  when  minute  bubbles  of  air  .and  sap 
were  observed  issuing  from  the  ends  of  the  ties. 

With  fully  seasoned  ties,  say  six  to  twelve  months 
from  the  cutting,  the  effect  of  the  steaming  was  some- 

306 


times  to  increase  the  weight  of  the  ties,  and  some- 
times to  diminish  it,  such  increase  or  loss  being, 
however,  very  small  and  well  within  two  per  cent 
It  was  found  that  when  the  ties  were  in  that  condi- 
tion it  was  best  to  dispense  with  the  steaming  alto- 
gether, and  to  begin  with  the  vacuum ;  as  more  solu- 
tion (chloride  of  zinc  in  this  case)  could  be  injected 
than  when  the  ties  were  previously  steamed,  which 
latter  operation,  leaving  some  condensed  steam  in  the 
wood  (say  perhaps  five  per  cent,  of  its  weight  re- 
duced to  two  per  cent,  by  the  subsequent  vacuum), 
diminished  by  just  so  much  the  quantity  of  solution 
which  could  be  forced  into  the  tie. 

These  experiments  were  made  from  1890  to  1900 
and  were  fully  confirmed  by  experiments  made  in 
1904  by  Mr.  S.  M.  Rowe.  From  the  results  and  from 
experience  gained  in  regular  working,  the  following 
practice  has  grown  up  at  the  works  of  the  writer: 

ist.  To  refuse  to  treat  fresh  cut  ties,  but  to  put 
them  down  on  the  ground  to  season. 

2nd.  To  begin  the  spring  season's  treating  by 
steaming,  unless  the  ties  are  of  the  previous  year's 
cutting. 

3rd.  To  omit  steaming  in  the  summer  and  autumn 
when  the  ties  prove  to  be  well  seasoned. 

This  practice  leaves  open  the  question  whether  it  is 
important  for  the  best  results  to  first  sterilize  the 
germs  of  decay  by  heat,  either  that  of  steam  or  that 
of  hot  air  in  drying  ovens.  Some  bacteriologists  hold 
that  the  germs  of  decay  exist  in  the  sap  of  the  wood 
before  it  is  cut  down,  and  some  believe  that  these 
germs  penetrate  into  the  wood  after  it  is  treated.  The 
writer's  experience  with  the  results  of  ties  previously 
steamed  or  treated  without  steaming  is  not  sufficient 
to  enable  him  to  adduce  any  facts  bearing  on  this 
question,  but  he  believes  that  the  European  practice 
of  heating-  wood  in  drying  ovens  just  prior  to  ^  its 
injection  is  good  and  that  this  may  be  the  next  im- 
provement which  should  be  introduced  in  this  country. 
Be  this  as  it  rnay,  he  hopes  that  the  members  of  this 
association  will  contribute  their  experience  to  the  dis- 

807 


cussion  of  this  paper,  and  that  the  result  will  be  to 
produce  still  better  work  in  wood  preserving. 

CONSERVATION  OF  FORESTS  IN  AMERICA. 

Prest.  J.  J.  Hill  of  the  Great  Northern  Railway  in 
speaking  of  the  exhaustion  of  soil,  timber,  ores  and 
coal,  while  presenting  a  startling  possibility  in  a 
humanitarian  sense,  yet  in  each  case  there  is  a 
large  element  of  truth.  That  improvidence  pervades 
in  the  several  cases  that  cannot  but  mean  ruin  to 
civilization  in  the  course  of  time  and  not  very  far 
distant  as  measured  by  human  history. 

Confining  ourselves  to  the  two  most  imminent 
sources  of  peril,  that  of  exhaustion  of  the  soil  and 
the  woods,  we  can  look  back  not  beyond  the  space 
of  the  life  of  our  great-grandfathers  and  view  our 
whole  territory  from  its  eastern  limit  to  a  line  far 
west  of  the  Mississippi  river,  now  essentially  de- 
nuded of  its  forests,  and  at  the  same  time  large  in- 
roads are  being  made  in  the  far  west  and  in  the 
timber  centers  of  the  south. 

As  to  the  soils,  Mr.  Hill  only  repeated  what  every 
well  informed  agriculturist  knows.  Minnesota  and 
the  Dakotas  were  for  many  years  noted  for  both 
the  quantity  and  the  excellence  of  the  wheat  crop. 
Now  we  hear  of  trouble  from  rust  and  other  kindred 
evils;  only  what  should  be  expected  after  taking  off 
and  putting  nothing  on  for  the  last  thirty  or  forty 
years.  It  means  poverty  of  soil;  soil  impoverished 
by  wasteful  methods  and  human  greed. 

In  1840  Illinois  raised  just  as  fine  wheat  for  a  few 
years,  then  the  crop  began  to  fail  generally  except 
where  the  land  was  fed  by  its  own  products  such 
as  manure  from  stock — and  by  intelligent  rotation 
of  crops,  and  was  thus  rendered  prolific  for  wheat 
indefinitely.  That  this  can  be  done  in  any  and  all 
the  agricultural  states  will  hardly  be  questioned. 

The  same  improvidence  seems  to  be  the  rule  in  our 
forests.  The  forests  of  this  country  are  the  product 
of  several  hundred  years  previous  to  its  occupation 

30 


by  our  people;  some  trees  now  being  cut  are  the 
natural  growth  of  a  thousand  years,  over  thirty 
generations,  and  many  trees  are  being  cut  that  cannot 
be  re-grown  in  ten  generations.  The  remaining  sup- 
ply of  timber  is  being  still  further  imperiled  by  fires 
more  numerous  and  destructive  from  year  to  year  as 
the  country  is  being  invaded  and  the  increased  de- 
mands of  trade,  calls  for  more  wood.  The  amount 
of  timber  required  for  railroad  ties  alone  is  such 
as  to  tax  present  supply  and  to  accentuate  the  ex- 
haustion of  our  remaining  forests.  It  is  not  neces- 
sary to  call  for  statistics  as  the  ever  increasing  de- 
mand as  to  this  one  item  of  supply  and  increasing 
cost  will  sufficiently  attest. 

The  forces  of  nature  can  be  depended  upon  to 
replace  the  waste  to  the  extent  of  the  existing  area 
for  growth  only,  but  it  is  constant  and  persistent 
and  in  the  aggregate  it  will  go  far  to  repair  the 
loss  if  given  a  fair  chance.  Perhaps  the  most  power- 
ful influence  that  can  be  employed  to  aid  is  the 
building  up  of  the  sentiment  of  love  for  the  tree 
among  the  masses  of  our  people.  This  interest  is 
easily  awakened  and  if  cultivated  will  show  results 
after  a  time.  Arbor  day  if  generally  kept  in  the 
schools  of  the  country  will  make  its  influence  felt, 
especially  with  the  young.  Tree  planting  where  con- 
ditions are  right  while  tending  the  same  way  is 
but  puny  compared  with  the  forces  of  nature.  We 
must  look  to  other  measures  to  conserve  nature. 

Once  in  a  while  we  come  across  a  timber  lot  or  a 
bit  of  the  original  forest  in  some  of  the  older  states 
where  it  has  been  carefully  preserved  in  its  primeval 
state  and  where  we  consider  that  this  is  what  ex- 
isted over  half  of  the  territory  now  covered  by  our 
country,  we  can  better  appreciate  the  destructive 
forces  at  work. 

Where  human  greed  is  unrestrained  we  see  the 
main  cause  of  unnecessary  waste  by  the  reckless  de- 
struction of  everything,  except  the  tree  bodies  that 
are  cut  into  lumber  and  to  which  much  of  the 
destruction  by  fire  originates  and  may  be  attributed. 

309 


Another  cause  of  waste  consequent  on  the  fore- 
going manifestation  of  human  greed  is  in  the  pro- 
miscuous bleeding  for  turpentine,  where  premature 
destruction  is  carried  out  on  the  young  and  fast 
growing  second  growth  trees  too  small  to  produce 
much,  and  causing  the  trees  to  blow  down  thus  de- 
stroying what  in  the  next  generation  would  produce 
valuable  trees.  The  thought  suggests  that  tree  econ- 
omy would  require  that  the  production  of  turpentine 
be  confined  to  that  which  can  be  extracted  from  the 
matured  tree  or  from  the  waste  part  of  trees  cut 
into  lumber.  Just  how  far  the  Government  can  law- 
fully interpose  to  avoid  this  unnecessary  waste  is 
something  we  cannot  here  say,  but  it  would  seem 
right  that  such  power  or  influence  as  it  does  possess 
should  be  exerted  to  this  end. 

The  Forest  Service  Bureau  of  the  Department  of 
Agriculture  t  it  is  presumed  is  the  proper  party 
through  which  all  the  powers  of  the  general  Gov- 
ernment are  brought  to  bear,  and  to  this  we  must 
anchor  our  hope  and  trust  that  such  influence  as 
they  possess  joined  with  the  sound  sense  and  far 
seeing  judgment  of  those  engaged  in  the  lumber 
producing  business,  will  at  least  partially  prevent  this 
almost  criminal  waste  in  the  future.  A  proper 
understanding  between  this  Department  and  the  lum- 
bering interest  will  go  far  to  prevent  destructive 
fires.  The  responsibility  for  carelessness  or  wanton 
setting  of  fire  should  have  heavy  penalty  attached 
and  should  be  enforced  whenever  possible. 

Tree  Planting:  Over  sixty  years  ago,  the  writer 
then  but  a  boy,  found  no  greater  pleasure  than  that 
of  roaming  the  then  primeval  forest  with  its  growth 
of  noble  trees :  Oak,  Walnut,  Hickory,  and  almost  a 
complete  list  of  those  trees  of  the  temperate  zone 
with  its  concomitant  herbage,  forming  a  book,  the 
study  of  which  caused  almost  a  feeling  of  reverence 
for  those  noble  trees,  and  impelled  the  planting  of 
the  Walnut  as  it  dropped  from  the  parent  tree^  The 
result  of  this  boyish  impulse  is  a  tree  eighteen  inches 
in  diameter  above  the  stump  and  this  in  a  situation 

810 


not  at  all  favorable  to  the  Walnut.  With  favorable 
soil  and  conditions  as  to  moisture,  double  this 
growth  would  have  resulted. 

Two  trees  seem  to  be  adapted  in  a  commercial 
sense,  for  profitable  planting  on  account  of  rapidity 
of  growth;  the  Black  Locust  and  the  Osage  Orange 
(Bois  d  Arc)  especially  the  latter  on  account  of  its 
freedom  from  insect  attack,  a  source  of  almost  com- 
plete destruction  of  the  locust,  which  should  com- 
mand attention  of  our  Forest  Bureau.  Both  these 
trees  will  grow  in  almost  any  soil  or  situation,  pro- 
ducing the  most  lasting  of  wood  and  growing  very 
closely.  The  Osage  Orange,  if  planted  very  closely 
and  given  close  attention  during  the  first  five  to 
eight  years  in  trimming  away  side  branches,  should 
produce  the  highest  and  earliest  return  for  the 
ground  and  the  labor  expended. 

Railroad  Cross  Ties:  The  call  for  railroad  ties 
is  one  of  the  most  severe  drafts  on  the  timber  supply 
and  this  has  been  confined  thus  far  to  the  White 
Oak,  but  the  time  has  now  arrived  when  railroad 
managers  are  forced  to  relax  and  resort  to  the 
softer  timbers  simply  because  the  white  oak  ties 
cannot  be  had.  It  is  apprehended  that  they  will  be 
equally  obdurate  as  to  the  use  of  steel  for  the  same 
purpose  as  long  as  wood  can  be  had  at  almost  any 
price  on  account  of  the  superiority  of  wood  for 
this  purpose.  Even  if  steel  or  other  substances  are 
adopted,  the  wood  must  be  interposed  in  the  shape 
of  blocks  or  shims  to  ease  the  rigidity  of  the  bear- 
ing of  the  rail. 

Chemical  Treatment  of  Timber:  If  the  softer 
woods  which  have  heretofore  been  rejected  on  ac- 
count of  their  shorter  life  when  exposed  to  the 
elements  in  the  railroad  track  can  be  utilized,  the 
field  of  supply  is  infinitely  enlarged  and  much  that 
has  heretofore  been  considered  useless  and  being 
destroyed  can  be  utilized. 

Much  has  been  offered  pro  and  con  as  to  whether 
the  methods  of  treatment  in  this  country  have  been 
successful,  but  the  writer  believes  that  the  best 

311 


authorities  of  today  as  well  as  future  results  will 
justify  in  saying  that  many  of  the  woods  heretofore 
rejected  can  be  made  to  last  longer  and  make  better 
ties  than  even  the  white  oak. 

Wood  Pulp :  This  is  another  source  of  depletion 
of  the  forest  and  no  doubt  a  legitimate  and  useful 
one,  but  confined  to  a  few  of  the  most  valuable 
timbers.  The  thought  occurs  whether  the  remnants 
of  other  woods  may  not  be  utilized  instead  of  the 
more  valuable  tree  bodies  as  suggested  in  the  ob- 
taining of  turpentine  from  the  pine.  These  remnants 
may  not  be  so  cheaply  reduced  but  considering  that 
the  material  will  otherwise  be  wasted,  does  it  not 
come  within  the  line  of  policy  of  the  government  to 
forbid  further  waste? 

In  view  of  the  fact  that  all  wood  fiber  is  of  much 
the  same  consistence  does  not  this  view  seem  reason- 
able? 

Tree  planting,  while  as  before  stated,  carried  on 
by  human  effort  now  in  its  infancy,  is  puny  compared 
with  the  results  of  nature,  may  grow  in  time  to  be 
of  much  importance.  A  combined  effort  by  all  par- 
ties whether  individuals  or  railroad,  or  other  cor- 
porations will  result  eventually  in  an  increase  worthy 
of  the  effort. 

One  great  advantage  will  be  in  the  awakening  of 
effort  that  will  increase  both  interest  and  knowledge 
on  ^the  part  of  the  people  with  an  increased  dis- 
position to  not  only  add  to  the  volume  of  the 
product,  but  to  avoid  waste  and  to  create  a  feeling 
of  sacredness  toward  the  noble  plants  that  banish 
the  desert  wherever  they  are  grown. 

Aside  from  the  conservation  of  existing  forests 
their  reforestation  seems  to  be  the  most  important  of 
all,  and  efforts  in  this  direction  are  being  stimulated 
by  the  aid  of  the  Forest  Service  under  the  able 
direction  of  that  department  of  the  government. 
There  is  hardly  a  doubt  but  that  the  vast  area  of  the 
white  pine  in  Michigan  could  with  proper  care  have 
been  far  along  toward  this  reproduction  and  that  it 
is  not  duo  to  the  impoverishment  of  the  soil,  but  is 


due  to  the  improvident  burning  over,  and  not  to  any 
great  extent  to  stock  pasturage.  In  the  south  where 
the  pines  have  grown  the  second  growth  it  is  grow- 
ing vigorously,  but  the  Old  Field  and  the  Yellow 
pine  growing  vigorously  as  to  defy  stock  very 
quickly.  Reproduction  of  forest  in  this  way  can  of 
course  be  aided  by  extended  planting  in  connection 
with  those  growing  naturally,  the  latter  furnishing 
the  young  plants  for  resetting  in  open  spaces. 

Tree  planting  on  desert  or  some  desert  lands 
seems  to  be  of  uncertain  utility,  we  see  on  the  great 
plains  over  a  stretch  of  many  hundred  miles  almost 
treeless  with  the  one  exception  of  the  cottonwood, 
and  that  only  along  the  streams,  even  then  of  but 
little  value  except  to  relieve  the  eye. 

Only  long  patient  study  will  determine  how  far  it 
is  practicable  to  encroach  on  the  great  plans,  and 
what  useful  timbers  can  be  grown.  The  absence  of 
any  other  timber  is  strong  evidence  that  it  will  be 
difficult  to  grow  other  timbers  with  any  degree  of 
success. 

But  let  reforestation  be  attempted,  the  original 
primitive  forests  of  this  country  can  never  be  re- 
produced. Human  effort  directed  by  the  knowledge 
now  being  so  acquired  and  prepared  by  the  United 
States  government  through  the  Forest  Service  can 
be  used  to  direct  the  impulses  of  all  possible  effort 
in  the  most  practical  methods.  Desultory  and  lim- 
ited efforts  can  be  utilized  with  the  aesthetic  sense, 
impelled  by  that  innate  love  of  beauty  among  the 
people,  will  only  beautify  the  country. 

The  commercial  spirit  can  hardly  impel  extensive 
tree  planting  exclusively,  because  the  reward  or 
commercial  return  is  so  long  coming.  We  will  take 
a  case  of  the  production  of  one  tree,  say  that  of  the 
western  yellow  pine  where  it  requires  200  years  to 
produce  a^  tree  thirty  inches  in  diameter  at  the 
stump  having  a  volume  of  wood  equal  to  2,000  feet 
board  measure  producing  1,200  feet  B.  M.  of  sawed 
lumber.  This  same  tree  is  one-tenth  grown  at  70 
years,  one-third  grown  at  100  years  and  three- 

313 


quarters  grown  at  160  years;  so  we  see  that  the 
reward  is  so  remote  that  it  is  of  little  interest  to 
people  now  living.  Large  corporations  managing 
ten  thousand  miles  of  railroad  perhaps  might  enter 
upon  this  humanitarian  scheme  with  a  remote  hope 
of  succeeding  in  beautifying  their  property  remotely. 
It  is  true  that  some  timbers  mature  or  at  least  be- 
come of  such  size  as  to  be  used  at  a  much  earlier 
period,  the  Catalpa  for  instance,  but  this  can  only 
be  done  in  the  south  or  on  a  soil  much  too  valuable 
to  be  given  over  in  the  face  of  rapid  filling  up  of 
the  country  by  the  natural  increase  in  population. 

In  view  of  this,  it  would  seem  proper  to  first  save 
our  forest  by  ceasing  wasteful  methods  in  cutting; 
second,  by  increasing  available  stock  by  drawing 
from  contiguous  countries,  inviting  rather  than  re- 
pelling trade  by  too  high  tariff  on  importations; 
or  lastly,  and  not  the  least,  by  any  means,  saving  our 
remaining  forests  by  elaborating  the  first  mentioned 
means,  that  of  broadening  the  field  for  supplying 
railroad  ties  and  timber  by  treatment  chemically  as 
is  now  coming  somewhat  into  favor.  For  ties  alone 
the  railroads  in  the  United  States  call  for  annually 
somewhat  over  sixty  million  cross  ties,  2,160  million 
feet  B.  M.,  leaving  out  of  consideration  bridge  tim- 
ber and  piles. 

By  use  of  preservatives  the  field  is  broadened,  first 
by  bringing  into  use  many  of  the  less  valuable  tim- 
bers, and  secondly  by  at  least  doubling  the  life  in 
service.  Until  very  recently  only  a  few  of  the 
most  valuable  trees  were  accepted,  such  as  the  white 
oak,  cedar,  etc.,  now  there  is  scarcely  a  wood  fibre 
but  may  be  made  as  lasting  as  the  best. 

I  will  not  say  that  efforts  in  tree  planting  will  be 
in  vain.  It  is  a  work  our  government  may  well  take 
up  and  should  do  so,  and  the  progress  toward  doing 
it  understandingly  is  such  already  as  to  give  hope 
of  great  good  to  posterity  at  least.  Its  influence  will 
tend  to  foster  the  love  of  the  tree  among  the  people, 
will  do  more  to  curb  wastefulness  among  lumber- 
men and  is  about  the  only  influence  that  will  do  this 

314 


effectually.  The  many  millions  of  forest  reserva- 
tions and  their  management  as  well  as  the  extension 
of  the  same  systematic  management  to  the  private 
preservers  with  the  constant  improvement  of  this 
service  is  a  hopeful  topic  on  which  every  one  should 
second  heartily. 

Reforestation  is  a  matter  in  which  government  aid 
and  influence  should  be  exerted  as  the  most  practical 
means  to  the  desired  end.  Soil  and  climate  have 
much  to  do  with  the  success.  When  the  pines  have 
grown  they  will  grow  again  as  in  the  northmost 
bounds  of  the  temperate  zone  for  the  white  pine, 
on  the  mountain  breast  below  the  snow  line  for  the 
Fox  spruce,  etc.,  and  on  the  alluvial  plains  of  the 
south  for  the  southern  yellow  pine  and  the  kindred 
trees  and  on  the  alluvial  valley  almost  everywhere 
for  the  walnut,  maple,  hickory,  beach,  etc.  The 
lesson  taught  is  where  they  each  grow  best  there 
plant  them.  As  nature  furnishes  the  plant  this  ran 
be  done  most  easily  with  the  best  assurance  of 
success. 

Statistics  have  been  avoided  from  paucity  of  data 
at  hand.  The  work  of  the  Forest  Service  will  in 
time  give  this  in  a  shape  not  possible  by  the  efforts 
of  the  writer.  A  mass  of  detail  matter  has  been 
gathered  but  it  will  require  much  time  and  labor 
to  make  it  available. 

"Great  oaks  from  little  acorns  grow;  Great  rivers 
from  little  rivulets  flow."  This  couplet  whether 
rightly  quoted,  covers  in  a  humanitarian  sense,  mat- 
ters of  vital  interest  to  the  human  race.  Destroy 
the  tree,  and  the  rivulet  dries  up  and  the  river  be- 
comes a  dry  desert.  The  tree  is  the  noblest  and 
most  useful  of  all  plant?.  It  is  doubtful  whether  a 
man  ever  willingly  pnt  his  axe  into  one  without 
a  sense  of  violation  of^  his  ideal  of  life  or  enjoy- 
ment unless  impelled  with  a  sense  of  gain. 

When  the  instinct  of  gain  is  present,  the  forest 
is  ruthlessly  jnvaded  with  no  other  thought.  Only 
the  interposition  of  government  control  will  save  the 
country  from  becoming  a  desert  from  total  destruc- 

315 


tion  of  the  forest  and  the  drying  up  of  the  waters. 
A  natural  veneration  for  this  noble  plant,  the  tree, 
such  as  will  not  only  deny  its  destruction  but  will 
impel  the  planting  of  the  tree  will  aid  in  ameliorating 
the  conditions.  Nature  has  stored  up  in  advance  a 
bountiful  store  of  forests  which  inside  of  300  years 
is  threatened  to  become  largely  depleted  in  the  near 
future,  and  it  will  be  indeed  fortunate  if  the  un- 
necessary waste  can  be  arrested  before  its  scarcity 
:  reaches  acute  conditions. 

AN  ARRAIGNMENT 

WESTERN  RAILWAY  CLUB,   MEETING  AT  AUDITORIUM, 
CHICAGO,   DEC.  l6,  IQO2 

From  an  address  by  Dr.  Herman  von  Schrenk,  in 
charge  of  the  Missouri  Valley  Laboratory  of  the 
Bureau  of  Plant  Industry  of  the  U.  S.  Department  of 
Agriculture,  we  quote: 

a.  ".     .     .    .    and  leave  out  the  costly  and  ruinous 
steaming   process    which    is    generally    used   in    this 
country."     (P.  155  rep.) 

b.  "I  do  not  go  into  a  discussion  as  to  the  value 
of  the  glue-tannin  treatment  to  any  great  extent  but 
I  might  say  I  am  distinctly  opposed  to  that  sort  of 
treatment   from  the  bottom  up  because  it  is  based 
theoretically  as   well  as   actually,   on   a  great  many 
false   factors."     (P.    177   rep.) 

c.  "I    believe    that   a   great    many   railroads    will 
follow  the  lead   of  the  Atchison   road   in   dropping 
the    zinc    chloride    glue    treatment    and    reverting 
to  the  straight  zinc  chloride  process.     (P.  177  rep.) 

d.  "Mr.  Tratman  (referring  to  claim  that  the  glue 
does  not  penetrate  the  wood)    "Does  that  same  ob- 
jection  apply  to  the  subsequent   creosote  process?" 

We  want  to  say  right  here  that  any  one  at  all  famil- 
iar with  the  process  knows  that  the  zinc  chloride  does 
penetrate  the  wood  fibre  quite  completely,  more  so 
than  any  other  known  solution  and  that  this  is  not  so 
with  the  oil  which,  except  in  the  very  soft  and  open 
woods,  will  not  penetrate  the  wood  except  under  very 

316 

THIS  PARAGRAPH  SHOULD  Go  IN 


high  pressure  and  then  only  penetrating  the  wood 
fibre  in  strips  and  bands  where  the  high  pressure  has 
parted  the  wood  by  the  radical  cleavage  and  not  large- 
ly by  way  of  the  natural  wood  ducts. 

Mr.  von  Schrenk :  "No  sir,  that  not  only  penetrates 
into  the  holes  but  completely  penetrates  the  fibre, 
whereas  in  the  other  process  it  does  not  penetrate  the 
wood  fibre  itself,  so  that  I  consider  the  subsequent 
tannin-glue  process  a  distinct  waste  of  money."  ^ 

The  author  has  heard  this  address  mentioned  but 
had  no  opportunity  to  read  it  until  very  recently, 
and  now  considers  it  a  duty  to  notice  it  and  by  the 
light  of  subsequent  developments  to  weigh  its  value. 

The  implication,  taking  the  address  as  a  whole, 
is  that  nothing  has  been  done  in  this  country  to  the 
advance  of  the  business  of  timber  preservation,  of 
any  value. 

The  position  we  always  assumed  in  the  matter  of 
"Preservation  of  Timber"  is  that  after  the  practical 
benefits  of  any  process  have  been  demonstrated,  to 
hold  to  it  until  a  better  has  been  proven.  Subse- 
quent events  indicate  that  Mr.  von  Schrenk  has  fol- 
lowed every  new  process, — the  Barchall,  the  Aler- 
dyce,  the  Rueping,  and  the  Rueping  reversed,  etc., 
the  value  of  none  of  which  have  yet  been  proven. 
When  their  value  has  been  proven  we  will  be  only 
too  glad  to  acknowledge  this  value. 

Answering  Mr.  von  Schrenk's  address,  we  use  the 
quotation  as  shown  at  the  head  of  this  article  in 
turn. 

a.  "In  regard  to  steaming  timber  to  prepare, for 
impregnation,  we  refer  to  previous  articles  published 
herewith.    Mr.    von    Schrenk    claimed    a    year    ago 
'that  steaming  reduced  the  strength  of  timber  twen- 
ty-five per  cent.*    Subsequent  careful  observations  by 
one  of  the  most  careful  chemists,   Professor  Hatt, 
fail  to  prove  this. 

b.  "The  zinc-tannin  which  is  condemned  in  toto, 
is  one  that  has  been  the  means  of  saving  millions 
of  dollars,  not  only  to  the  A.  T.  &  S.  F.  Railroad, 

*At  twenty  pounds  steam  pressure. 

317 


but  to  many  other  railroads.  So  treated,  ties  that 
without  treatment  would  only  last  from  two  to  six 
years  were  made  to  last  a  mean  of  six  to  twelve 
years.  Loblolly  ties  in  Texas  that  will  rot  beyond 
use  in  two  years,  were  made  to  last  so  that  re- 
newals of  any  consequence  began  in  the  sixth  year, 
and  only  then  largely  in  consequence  of  the  broken 
surface  of  the  protecting  glue  and  tannin  so  con- 
temptuously mentioned,  due  to  corrugated  tie  plates 
by  which  about  two  per  cent,  became  rotten  under 
the  tie  plate  only,  while  sawed  ties  were  mainly  still 
sound  at  six  years. 

c.  As  to  "abandonment  of  the  zinc-tannin  pro- 
cess,"— we  will  only  say  that  subsequent  history  has, 
in  five  years  after  the  utterance  of  this  prediction, 
shown  that  it  has  not  proven  true. 

d.  We  suppose  that  the  process  here  referred  to 
is  the  "Alardyce,"  so  called,  by  which  the  absorption 
of  oil  was  not  as  much  as  would  be  taken  up  by 
simply  dipping  a  dry  tie  into  a  vat  and  removing 
it   in   a   minute.    He   has   subsequently    stated   this 
process  to  be  successful  in  Mexico,  but  if^so  he  has 
not  so  far  shown  any  authentic  record  of  it. 

We  deem  it  high  time  that  this  assault  on  every- 
thing American  in  relation  to  Timber  Preservation 
shall  be  met  vigorously  as  largely  in  consequence  of 
this  influence  on  the  matter,  the  effect  has  been  to 
throw  the  whole  matter  into  doubt.  It  has  also 
opened  a  wide  field  to  self-interested  promoters,  who, 
with  oily  tongues  and  specious  theories,  stand  ready 
to  take  advantage  of  the  circumstances. 


318 


NATURAL  OILS  AS  A  PRESERVATIVE 

Some  recent  experiments  seem  to  indicate  that 
some  of  the  natural  oils,  a  heavy  petroleum  carrying 
a  large  portion  of  asphaltum  can  be  used  to  impreg- 
nate ties.  According  to  Mr.  Faulkner,  of  the  Santa 
Fe  Railroad  Company,  that  company  are  proposing 
to  substitute  this  oil  in  its  crude  state,  for  creosote 
oil.  It  has  been  tested  for  several  years  with  indi- 
cations of  good  results.  Should  it  prove  effective 
it  will  be  most  important  in  the  face  of  early  and 
rapid  advance  in  prices  undoubtedly  impending.  ^ 

We  have  made  examination  of  a  Mexican  oil  of 
much  the  same  character  as  the  California  oil  and 
found  its  penetration  as  quite  equal  to  that  of  the 
coal  tar  product.  If  it  holds  out  as  it  seems  now  to 
promise,  the  new  agent  will  prove  a  boon  indeed. 

The  analysis  of  the  San  Louis  Potosi  Oil  is  as 
follows : 

Color Dark  brown 

Odor -Tarry 

Consistency   A  thick  fluid  semi-liquid 

Appearance A  liquid  asphaltic  mixture 

Reaction    Slightfy   alkaline 

15° 
Specific  gravity,  at  C 0.983 

I5°o 

15 

Degrees  Baume    at  C I2.4°B. 

15° 

Viscosity,  Redwood's  at  21°  C 48,900° 

Flashes   at    4i°C.   or  IO5.8°F. 

Burns  at  I20°C.  or  248°F. 

Sulphur  3.26  per  cent 

Calorific  Power,  by  Calorimeter 14,648.  I  B.  T.  U. 

Weight  of  i  gallon  of  the  crude  oil 8.1953  Ibs. 

i  Kilo  of  oil 1.017  Liters 

Distillation  of  the  Crude  Oil:— 

Begins  to  condense  at 65° C.  or  I49°F. 

First  drop  over  at 74*C.  or  ioV°F. 

819 


15°                         15° 
Distillates  Sp.  Gr.  at C.  Baume  at C. 

15°  15° 

Notes. 

By  Engler's  method  of  fractioning  the  crude  oil 
gave  as  follows: 

Naphtha  Essences 3.20  per  cent 

Illuminating    oils    16.50 

Lubricating   oils    &   paraffins 66.58 

Coke  heated  to   dryness    13.72 

100.     per  cent 

Coke  as  taken  from  the  retort  was  a  black  glisten- 
ing mass. 

Analysis  of  the  Coke  was  found  to  be  as  follows: 
(after  burning  off  all  Volatile  &  Combustible  matter) 

Fixed  Carbon    ,  89.81  per  cent 

Ash    10.19 


100.     per  cent 

Resume:  ...  As  a  burning  oil  for  fuel  this 
oil  could  hardly  be  used  to  advantage  in  engines  on 
account  of  the  high  viscosity,  which  would  nee 
extra  heating  to  liquefy  the  oil  to  force  it  to  En- 
gine from  the  tank  in  which  it  is  kept;  on  account 
of  the  high  sulphur  value  which  would  need  frequent 
repairs  to  the  fire  box  and  adjoining  parts;  and  the 
calorific  value  is  hardly  high  enough  to  recommend 
in  the  place  of  coal  which  is  on  the  market  and  which 
gives  its  equal  or  better  in  B.  T.  U. 

The  loss  by  evaporation  in  24  hours  at  I2O°F.  is 
6.22  per  cent.  The  loss  will  entirely  depend  on  the 
volume  of  the  oil  as  well  as  to  the  depth  of  the  mass 
as  stowed.  Yours  very  truly, 

(Signed)   JAS.   M.  B.  HARD. 

TOPEKA,  KAN.,  FEB.   26th,   1907. 

Mr.  Sam' I  M.  Rowe,  Room  364  Monadnock  Block, 

Chicago,  III. 
DEAR  SIR  :    I  have  your  letter  of  Feb.  25th,  in  refer- 

320 


ence  to  the  experiments  in  treatment  of  ties  by  crude 
oil,  and  beg  to  say  the  analysis  shows  as  follows: 

Flashes,  open  test    242°  F. 

Burns    300°  F. 

Degrees  Baume     15.00 

Specific  Gravity 966=60.28  Ibs.  per  cu.  ft. 

Percentage  of  Sulphur   2.41 

Gasoline    Trace 

Illuminating  kerosene  22  per  cent. 

Residuum,   (chiefly  Asphaltum) 78.00  per  cent. 

B.  T.  U 17,000 

In  case  the  same  should  be  of  any  interest  to  you, 
I  herewith  attach  copy  of  letter  which  I  sent  a  gen- 
tleman the  other  day,  who  had  been  making  inquir- 
ies in  reference  to  this  matter. 

Yours  very  truly, 

E.  O.  FAULKNER, 
Mgr.  Tie  and  Timber  Dept 

Enc. 

We,  (The  Atchison,  Topeka  &  Santa  Fe  Railway) 
have  been  using  crude  oil  in  our  engines  in  Cali- 
fornia since  1891,  and  a  few  years  thereafter  began 
sprinkling  the^  roadbed  with  oil  to  keep  down  dust ; 
so  that  a  coating  of  oil  was  spread  over  the  tops  of 
the  ties,  which  seemed  to  add  to  their  life  (they 
were  untreated)  by  keeping  the  moisture  off  the 
tops,  at  all  events  this  was  the  belief  of  the  track 
men. 

In  the  vicinity  of  Baker  sfield  in  Kern  county,  Cali- 
fornia, we  get  an  oil,  costing  about  25  cents  per 
barrel  of  42  gallons,  of  low  gravity,  which  has  an 
asphaltum  residuum  of  about  77^  per  cent.,  the  bal- 
ance being  mainly  light  oils,  so  that  when  Dr.  Von 
Schrenk,  of  the  Government  Service,  asked  our  peo- 
ple for  a  length  of  track  in  southeastern  Texas  to 
conduct  a  number  of  experimental  tests  on  the  differ- 
ent wood  preservative  processes  then  in  common  use, 
we  took  the  opportunity  of  putting  in  a  few  ties  of 
each  kind  of  wood  treated  with  nothing  but  this 
same  crude  oil,  alongside  the  others,  in  order  to  ob- 

321 


tain  a  practical  comparison  of  the  results.  These 
were  treated  in  the  Fall  of  1901  and  put  in  the  track 
in  March,  1902.  Where  they  are  laid  an  untreated 
loblolly  pine  tie  lasts  about  two  years,  and  a  long- 
leaf  pine  less  than  four  years  on  account  of  heat  and 
moisture,  so  that  we  use  this  piece  of  track  for  our 
wood  preservative  experiments  with  the  surety  that 
if  a  tie  will  last  from  decay  down  there  a  certain 
length  of  time,  it  is  good  for  at  least  three  times  the 
life  in  other  places  on  the  System,  judging  by  the  life 
there  of  similar  wood  untreated. 

The  timber  experts  claim  that,  in  order  to  produce 
decay,  moisture  and  heat  must  be  present  at  the  same 
time,  with  access  to  the  air.  We  therefore  took 
thoroughly  well  air-seasoned  ties,  in  which,  of  course, 
the  cells  would  be  more  or  less  open,  and  filled  them 
with  this  crude  oil  heated  to  180  degrees  F.,  forced 
in  under  a  pressure  of  150  Ibs.  to  the  square  inch; 
at  this  temperature  I  am  inclined  to  believe  that  a 
good  proportion  of  the  light  oils  had  evaporated, 
leaving  only  the  asphaltum  residuum,  which  was 
then  as  fluid  as  creosote.  The  ties  took  up  from 
four  gallons  up  to  eight  gallons  per  tie,  only  one 
taking  the  latter  amount,  and  the  oil  appears  to  have 
hardened  in  the  cells  under  atmospheric  temperature, 
so  that  up  to  the  present  (five  years'  service)  they 
are  in  first  class  shape  so  far  as  preservation  and 
wear  are  concerned.  In  November  last  we  took  one 
out  of  the  track  and  sawed  it  in  two  in  the  middle 
and  under  each  rail  base;  the  wood  was  as  sound 
and  firm  as^when  laid  in  the  track,  with  less  rail  cut- 
ting than  with  the  other  treatments,  the  spike  holding 
firmly,  and  when  drawn  was  as  bright  and  clean  as  a 
newly  made  one.  We  have  since  taken  out  another 
pine  tie  of  a  different  variety,  but  sawed,  and  found 
on  sawing  it  the  same  as  before,  that  the  wood  was 
just  as  sound  and  firm.  In  one  place  the  sawing 
developed  a  decayed  place  in  the  tie,  which  had  taken 
up  more  oil  on  account  of  its  decay.  This  had  not 
spread  or  caused  any  trouble,  presumably  on  account 
of  the  ring  of  oiled  wood  surrounding  it. 


In  this  experimental  track  we  have  a  number  of 
different  kinds  of  wood  treated  with  different  pro- 
cesses. They  all  show  up  well  excepting  one,  (the 
Hassellman)  which  has  practically  gone  to  pieces; 
and  as  a  contrast,  in  each  case  we  also  have  a  num- 
ber of  the  untreated  woods  inserted  for  comparison. 
We  do  not  claim  there  are  any  antiseptic  properties  in 
the  crude  oil,  but  we  do  believe  that  by  stopping  up 
the  open  wood  cells  with  a  substance  which  solidifies 
under  ordinary  temperature,  we  prevent  heat,  moist- 
ure and  air  from  getting  into  the  wood  and  thereby 
affording  an  opportunity  for  the  decay-producing 
organisms  to  begin  work.  This  seems  to  be  proven 
in  our  case,  and  as  a  result  of  the  test,  borne  out  by 
general  experience  on  the  divisions  where  oiling 
has  been  done ;  in  the  new  treating  plant  we  are  pre- 
paring to  erect  in  New  Mexico,  the  pine  ties  will 
be  treated  with  this  same  grade  of  crude  oil  forced 
in  under  from  150  to  200  Ibs.  pressure  at  a  temper- 
ature of  180  degrees  F.  We  will  probably  introduce 
the  oil  under  vacuum,  and  at  the  end  apply  a  low 
vacuum  before  drawing  the  ties  out  of  the  cylinder, 
in  order  that  the  drip  may  have  a  show.  By  this  way 
the  ties  are  reasonably  clean  and  easily  handled  after 
treatment.  I  am  also  arranging  to.  put  in  a  lot  more 
in  the  Texas  Experimental  track,  and  sending  some 
to  the  Tampicp  Branch  of  the  Mexican  Central. 

I  give  herewith  a  list  of  the  untreated  woods  which 
were  laid  in  the  track  alongside  of  these  oil  treated 
ties  in  the  early  spring  of  1902,  the  oil  ties  being  all 
in  first  class  condition  at  last  inspection  (four  years 
and  ten  months  after  they  were  laid),  while  the  un- 
treated ones  laid  at  the  same  time  and  all  inspected 
together  show  up  as  follows: 

196  White  Oak  Ties.— 41  show  decay,  3  others 
have  fungus  on,  balance  in  good  condition. 

24  Black  Oak  Ties.— 22  removed  4  years  after  lay- 
ing, rotten;  2  still  in  track,  but  both  show  decay. 

20  Willow  Oak  Ties. — 15  removed  3  years  after 
treatment,  rotten;  of  the  5  still  in  track,  i  shows 
decay,  4  are  in  good  condition. 

323 


20  Spanish  Oak  Ties. — 4  removed  3  years  after 
laying,  rotten;  of  the  16  in  track,  7  show  decay 
with  heavy  fungus  growth  on,  the  rest  in  fair  con- 
dition. 

20  Yellow  Butt  Oak  Ties.— 18  removed  4*/2  years 
after  laying,  rotten;  2  in  track  in  good  condition. 

91  Red  Oak  Ties.=82  removed  3  years  after  lay- 
ing, rotten;  of  the  9  still  in  track,  7  show  decay,  2 
in  good  condition. 

49  Tamarack  Ties. — All  removed  2  years  and  9 
months  after  laying,  rotten. 

100  Loblolly  Pine  Ties.— All  removed  2  years  after 
laying,  rotten. 

93  Longleaf  Pine  Ties. — 85  removed  2$£  years  after 
laying,  rotten;  8  still  in  track,  of  which  7  show  de- 
cay, arid  i  in  good  condition. 

100  Shortleaf  Pine  Ties. — 95  taken  up  4^  years 
after  laying,  rotten ;  the  I  in  track  shows  decay. 

ipi  Hemlock  Ties. — All  removed  2^  years  after 
laying,  rotten. 

100  Beech  Ties. — All  removed  rotten. 

(Signed)  E.  O.  FAULKNER^ 
Manager  Tie  &  Timber  Dep't. 


824 


TREATMENT  OF  PAVING  BLOCKS 

As  is  well  known,  creosote  as  a  preservative  of 
paving  blocks  not  only  increases  the  life  of  the 
wood  but  also  increases  its  wear  under  traffic.  The 
addition  of  a  heavier  oil  or  a  large  percentage  of 
asphaltum  added,  gives  still  better  results.  The 
asphaltum  combines  with  the  oil  readily  and  be- 
comes sufficiently  fluid  to  secure  quite  complete 
penetration  filling  the  grain  of  the  wood  at  the  same 
time  increasing  its  solidity  and  resistance  to  the 
penetration  of  storm  water  after  laying. 

Blocks  so  treated,  laid  on  a  good  concrete  base 
makes  an  ideal  pavement,  with  less  noise  and  jar 
on  the  passing  of  vehicles. 

When  we  compare  the  various  kinds  of  pavement 
with  its  quality  for  wear,  utility  and  economy,  the 
tendency  seems  more  and  more  toward  the  wood. 

The  primitive  cobble  stone  and  granite  block  we 
have  is  undoubtedly  the  most  lasting  and  most  con- 
venient, especially  if  it  is  often  disturbed  for  reach- 
ing subutilities  such  as  water,  gas,  etc.,  as  well  as 
affording  footing  for  heavy  dray  service. 

Next  in  order  of  utility  is  a  good  vitrified  brick 
equally  favorable  for  foothold  for  draught  animals, 
less  lasting  but  less  noisy,  the  granite  in  this  respect 
being  the  most  distracting  of  all,  that  of  the  noise 
caused  by  the  elevated  loop  being  in  no  way  com- 
parable. 

Next  we  have  the  asphalt  laid  on  concrete  footing 
and  no  more  lasting  than  the  brick,  but  of  such 
character  as  to  be  absolutely  unusable  at  some  period 
of  the  season. 

It  seems  that  a  good  wood  block  laid  on  concrete 
base  should  be  the  ideal  pavement,  especially  if  im- 
pregnated with  Creosote  or  other  good  preservative 
filler. 

It  would  seem  from  our  present  knowledge  that 
such  a  block  can  be  cheaply  made,  would  eliminate 
the  noise,  give  good  footing  and  be  equally  sanitary 
with  any  other. 


THE  USE  OF  S    IRONS 

We  think  it  worth  mentioning  that  the  use  of 
S  irons  made  of  thin  strips  of  metal  prevents  in- 
cipient checking  or  splitting  of  any  timber  that  is 
liable  to  split  badly  during  the  drying  process. 
They  consist  of  a  rolled  strip  half  inch  or  so  wide 
to  be  cut  into  lengths  to  grasp  sufficient  of  the 
wood  on  each  side  of  the  check.  Some  timbers  will 
split  to  an  extent  that  renders  a  tie  useless,  notably 
the  hickory  elm  and  some  other  timbers.  These 
should  be  applied  when  the  check  appears  early. 

A  TYPICAL  TREE 

It  is  often  convenient  to  have  some  knowledge  of 
the  operation  of  nature  in  the  production  of  the 
tree,  especially  as  to  rate  of  growth  in  height  and 
volume  of  wood  produced  from  year  to  year.  Of 
course  each  variety  will  vary  so  that  it  is  desirable 
and  the  only  practical  way  to  choose  one  somev/here 
near  the  mean  of  useful  timbers.  We  therefore 
select  one  such  for  which  we  find  a  record  of 
growth  each  ten  years,  that  of  the  Northern  Yellow 
Pine  and  secure  a  general  analysis  about  as  follows : 

This  table  can  be  used  to  approximate  closely  to 
the  actual  volume  of  a  25-foot  telegraph  pole,  a  35- 
foot  pole,  a  so-foot  pile  or  the  body  of  the  tree. 

At  "d"  we  have  diameter  4.3  inches,  at  "f"  we 
have  9  inches  and  length  of  25  feet.  Now  we  add 
the  volumes  in  Col.  "F"  (excluding  "d"),  6  =  6.48 
cu.  ft.  and  "f"  =  p.22.  We  have  volume  15.7  cu.  ft. 

Similarly  "d"  to  "£'  =  we  have  a  38  ft.  pole,  11.4" 
at  the  butt  and  containing  28.2  cubic  feet. 

Similarly  a  pile  50  feet  long,  top  "e"  6J^"  dia.  and 
"i",  16"  dia.  at  the  large  end  ("i")  we  get  42.8  cu.  ft. 
This  typical  tree  contains  about  200  cubic  or  2400 
ft.  B.  M.,  but  will  not  afford  more  than  60%  of 
this  in  merchantable  lumber  or  1450  ft.  B.  M. 


Tree 


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WHAT  WE   HAVE   DONE 

1885.    A.  T.  &  S.  F.  RY.,  Las  Vegas,  N.  M.,  Operated  several 

1887.    UNieoNSpACiFic  R.  R.,  Laramie,  Wyo.,  Plans. 

1897.  T.  T.  &  L.  P.  Co.,  Somerville,  Texas,  Plans,  Super- 

vision and  Operation. 

1898.  SANTA  FE  PAC.,  Bellament,  Ariz.,  Plans,  Supervision 

and  Operation. 

1898.  C.  &  E.  I.  R.  R.,  Mt.  Vernon,  111.,  Plans  revised  for 

O.  Chanute. 

1899.  GREAT  NORTHERN  RY.,  Kalispell,  Mont.,  Plans,  Sup- 

ervision and  Installation. 

1899.  B.  &  M.  R.  RY.,   Edgemont,  S.  Dak.,  Plans,  Supervi- 

sion and  Installation. 

1900.  H.  C.  SUGAR  Co.,  Hawaii,  Plans  with  full  directions. 

1900.  MEX.  CENT.  R.  R.,  Mexico,  Consulting  Eng'r. 

1901.  M.  K.  &  T.  RY.,  Greenville,  Texas,  Plans,  Supervision 

and  Installation. 

1901.    ALAMOGORDA  L.  C.,  Alamogorda,  N.  M.,  Plans,  Sup- 
ervision and  Installation. 

1901.  ROCKY  MT.  TIME.  Co.,  Colo.,  Plans,  Supervision  and 

Installation. 

1902.  AYER  &  LORD  TIE  Co.,  Carbondale,  111.,  Consulting 

Eng'r. 
1902.    AYER  &  LORD  TIE  Co.,  Grenada,  Miss.,  Consulting 

kng'r. 

1902.    UNION  PACIFIC,  Portable  Plant,  Shop  Inspection. 
1902.    O.  R.  &  N.  Co.,  Shop  Inspection. 

1902.  A.  T.  &  S.  F.,  Plans  and  Specifications. 

1903.  D.  &  R.  G.,  Alamosa,  Colo.,  Plans,  Specifications  and 

Installation. 

1903.  C.  &  N.  W.,  Escanaba,  Mich.,   Plans,   Specifications 

and  Installation. 

1904.  CHIHUAHUA  &  PAC.,  Chihuahua,  Mex.,  Plans,  Speci- 

fications and  Installation. 

1905.  GRASSELLI  CHEMICAL  Co.,  Cleveland,  Ohio,  Labora. 

tory  Plant. 

1905.    I.  C.,"Southport,  La.,  Creosote,  Storage,  Plans,  Speci- 
fication and  Installation 

1905.  U.  S.  LABORATORY  PLANT,  Washington,  D.  C.,  Plans. 

1906.  M.  K.  &  T.,  Greenville,  Texas,   (Remodeling)  Plans 

and  Specifications. 

1906.    GRAY  TIE  Co.,  Evansville,  Ind.,  Plans,  Specifications 
and  Installation. 

1906.  C.  B.  &  Q.,  Galesburg,  111.,  Consulting  Eng'r. 

1907.  K.  C.  T.  &  T.  P.  Co.,  Kansas  City,  Mo.,  Plans,  Speci- 

fications and  Installation. 


PHYSICAL  PROPERTIES  OF  TIMBER. 

In  the  study  of  American  timbers,  especially  with 
reference  to  treatment,  the  author  has  deemed  the 
matter  of  sufficient  importance  to  give  attention  to 
the  different  phases  from  time  to  time  as  opportunity 
offered.  In  the  Absorption  Tables  heretofore  pub- 
lished, this  study  was  devoted  to  the  absorptive  power 
of  various  timbers  as  specimens  could  be  obtained,  as 
in  the  operation  of  impregnation  this  property  was  of 
first  importance. 

By  an  inspection  of  the  Absorption  Tables  "A'J  to 
"I"  and  a  comparison  with  amount  of  absorption 
secured  in  the  usual  impregnations  with  a  solution 
like  chloride  of  zinc,  with  a  one  or  two  hours  exposure 
under  100  pounds  hydraulic  pressure,  it  is  found  that 
as  much  absorption  was  secured  as  would  be  taken 
in  thirty  days  by  simply  immersing  in  water. 

By  this  means  the  operator  is  able  to  judge  the 
comparative  character  of  any  one  of  the  woods.  At 
the  time  these  tables  were  compiled,  the  other 
properties  and  characteristics  were  also  noted,  such 
as  weight  per  cubic  foot,  etc. 

At  this  writing,  the  accumulation  of  specimens  of 
timber  became  so  numerous  that  a  further  effort  to 
enlarge  this  field  of  knowledge  has  been  made,  cover- 
ing the  strength  under  compression  as  a  column  and 
in  other  conditions.  These  results  are  given  in  the 
subsequent  tables  "J"  to  "O"  with  the  former  records 
but  covering  almost  all  the  wood  specimens  in  reach. 

In  connection  with  these  tests  some  further  facts 
are  elicited,  as  to  the  manner  in  which  timber  fails 
WHEN  LOADED  TO  DESTRUCTION,  and  also 
the  relative  crushing  load,  both  for  end  pressure, 
flatwise,  and  edgewise  per  square  inch. 

Plates  Nos.  I  to  VI,  pages  331-336  are  engravings  of 
representative  pieces  selected  from  over  one  thousand 
test  pieces  that  were  tested  in  the  20,000  Ibs.  Riele* 
Press  in  the  Chicago  City  Laboratory,  during  June  and 
July  of  this  year,  (1908). 


THE  MANNER  IN  WHICH  TIMBER  FAILS 
UNDER  COMPRESSION. 

The  pieces  were  uniformly  one  inch  square  and 
four  inches  long,  cut  with  four  inch  axis  as  nearly  as 
possible  parallel  to  the  axis  of  the  tree. 

The  types  of  failure  are  indicated  in  the  tables  by 
initials.  Thus,  P.  for  Prime,  etc. 

For  the  purpose  of  showing  more  fully  the  physical 
properties  of  the  various  woods  tested,  this  series  of 
illustrations  are  submitted. 

The  following  abbreviations  are  used  in  the  tables 
of  tests  J,  K,  L,  M,  N  and  O,  to  indicate  the  charac- 
ter of  failure  in  each  case. 

Plates  No.  I  and  II.  (P.) — Prime,  with  a  tendency 
to  shear  off  on  a  plane  of  shear  at  a  regular  angle  to 
the  axis  of  the  piece. 

Plate  No.  III.  (P.  S.)— Prime  Shattered,  that  of 
straight  grained  wood  but  easily  cloven  during  test. 

Plate  No.  IV.  (P.  T.)— Prime  Tough,  timber  of 
tough  pliant  fibre. 

Plate  No.  V.  (P.  C.)— Prime  Crumpled,  the  same 
as  "P"  except  having  been  badly  checked  by  high 
pressure,  or  other  cause  for  parting  the  fibre  of  the 
timber. 

Plate  No.  VI.  (B)— Broomed  or  Crushed.  Number 
-82-  has  been  crushed  down  to  show  more  clearly  the 
effect  on  the  fibers  of  the  wood. 

This  classification  is  intended  to  guide  in  the 
study  of  the  nature  of  timber  fibre  and  should  be  re- 
viewed carefully  and  given  further  careful  study,  as 
the  writer  has  so  far  been  unable  to  do  for  want  of 
time  and  various  other  reasons. 

It  is  desired  that  other  investigators  express  them- 
selves as  regards  the  causes  of  the  various  phases  of 
the  Phenomena. 


ADVANCE  SHEET 


OF 


SUPPLEMENT 


TO 


"Preservation  of  Timber" 


FOR 


1909  EDITION 


COPYRIGHT  1908 

BY 
SAMUEL  M.  ROWE 


51 


UNTREATED  SO.  TREATED 

YELLOW  PINE       PRIME  (P.)      HARD  MAPLE 

PLATE  I  331 


3L 

5 


PLATE  II 


PRIME  (P.) 
332 


104L  104L 

8  9 

MEXICAN  PINE,  UNTREATED 
PRIME  SHATTERED  (P.  S.) 

PLATE  III  333 


HARD  MAPLE 

UNTREATED. 

PRIME  TOUGH,  (P.  T.) 

PLATE  IV  334 


ISA 

1 

HICKORY 
UNTREATED, 
PRIME  SHATTERED,  (P.  S.) 


38  _69_ 

1  2 

HARD  MAPLE  IMP.  500  HARD  MAPLE  IMP.  500 

PRIME  CRUMPLED  (C) 

PLATE  V  335 


33  _33^ 

1  2 

SOUTHERN  YELLOW  PINE  PAVING  BLOCK 

BROOMED  (B) 
PLATE  VI  336 


TABLES   OF  ABSORBENT  PROPERTIES 
OF  TIMBER. 

On  page  147  "Preservation  of  Timber"  and  pages 
following;  Tables  A,  B,  C,  D  and  E,  page  181,  are 
given  as  a  record  of  observation  on  the  character, 
weight,  etc.  of  timbers  obtainable  up  to  January,  1904. 
Herewith  are  submitted  a  series  of  tables,  being  a 
record  of  timbers  more  recently  examined,  giving  such 
further  facts  as  have  been  gathered,  with  a  view  of 
continuing  the  record  for  use  in  the  future. 

The  compressive  strength  with  a  view  of  compari- 
son between  the  various  timbers  is  added,  as  well  as 
some  experiments  bearing  on  the  amount  of  solution 
or  oil  taken  up  during  treatment,  effect  of  over-press- 
ure, the  effect  of  time  and  exposure  at  various  times 
during  the  life  of  timber  in  service,  etc. 

Table  "F"  is  results  of  Zinc-Creosote  Process  on 
various  Oaks  and  other  timbers  which  fully  explains 
itself.  The  absorption  was  taken  after  treating  and 
thoroughly  drying  the  blocks  before  immersing  them 
in  water. 

Table  "G"  is  experiments  on  Run  No.  3  where  Tar 
Residium  was  used  instead  of  Creosote.  Weight  of 
timber  was  taken  before  treating  and  again  after 
treating  and  well  drying. 

Lower  part  of  table  is  Hard  Maple  and  Red  Oak, 
treated  or  untreated  as  indicated. 

Table  "H"  gives  a  special  test  on  White  Oak  Ties, 
15  years  in  service.  Nos.  1  to  8  being  White  Oak 
laid  in  sandy  soil  and  surface  rotted,  and  Nos.  9  to  16 
being  ties  15  years  in  service  laid  in  moist  ground.  A 
little  figuring  will  indicate  that  the  loss  to  the  timber 
was  about  in  proportion  to  the  amount  of  wood  en- 
tirely rotted  away,  leaving  the  sound  timber  almost 
as  good  as  new. 

Table  "I"  is  absorbent  properties  of  various  speci- 
mens tested  as  explained  on  the  right  hand  of  the 
table. 

387 


Table  "J"  commences  the  series  of  Ultimate  Crush- 
ing Loads.  The  numbers  in  the  left  hand  column 
refer  to  the  corresponding  numbers  in  Tables  "A"  to 
"E"  inclusive.  Same  is  true  of  Tables  "J"  to  "O." 

Tables  "K"  Nos.  1,  7,  9  and  10  are  the  White  Oak 
Ties  15  years  in  service  on  the  South  Chicago  City 
R.  R.  as  shown  in  Table  "H"  5,200  Ibs.  the  ultimate 
crushing  load  per  square  inch  as  against  6,900  pounds 
per  square  inch  for  new  White  Oak. 

Table  "L"  No.  XIX,  Table  "1"  is  untreated  pine  15 
years  in  track  and  12  years  in  concrete  where  it  shows 
almost  the  original  strength,  4,200  pounds  per  square 
inch  and  also  the  strength  of  the  Michigan  White  Pine 
treated  in  1885,  part  of  the  Isleta  bridge,  carrying 
near  4,600  pounds  per  square  inch.  See  also  Nos.  102 
to  108,  various  Mexican  Pines. 

Table  "M"  explains  itself. 

Table  "N"  and  "O",  effect  of  over-pressure  on  the 
timber  fibre.  When  the  treatment  of  ties  by  the  Well- 
house  process  in  1885  was  commenced,  the  rule  was 
laid  down  that  no  more  than  one  hundred  pounds  of 
pressure  per  square  inch  should  be  allowed  on  the 
charge  while  iri  contact  with  the  solution.  This  was 
accepted  on  the  authority  of  Mr.  Wellhouse,  Mr.  Jos. 
P.  Card  and  Mr.  Chanute  and  has  been  the  practice 
with  most,  using  either  the  Zinc-Tannin  or  the  Bur- 
nett process  with  slight  allowable  deviation  since  that 
time.  This  was  derived  from  past  experience  and 
was  accepted  as  being  correct  and  the  general  opinion 
among  people  doing  this  kind  of  work  that  a  pressure 
much  above  this  would  part  the  timber  fibre. 

The  writer  in  making  some  experiments  on  the 
possibility  of  impregnating  wooden  paving  blocks 
with  melted  asphalt  in  combination  with  creosote  oil, 
found  it  impossible  to  make  it  reach  all  parts  of  a 
four  inch  block  unless  a  much  higher  pressure  and  a 
high  degree  of  heat  was  used.  In  some  cases  where 
300  pounds  was  applied,  the  grip  of  the  hand  would 
cause  the  oil  to  protrude  at  the  end  of  the  surface  of 
the  block  long  after  removal  from  the  retort. 


Recently,  however,  this  idea  that  the  higher  press- 
ure does  so  injure  the  timber  has  been  emphatically 
denied  and  the  practice  among  "Creosoters"  is  to  use 
twice  that  pressure  or  more.  With  a  view  to  aid  in 
correct  determination  of  the  question,  the  writer  has 
gone  to  some  trouble  to  gather  information  on  the 
subject.  Table  "O"  given  herewith,  gives  the  various 
timbers  and  Plate  No.  VI,  page  348,  etc.  gives  the 
manner  in  which  the  timber  fails  in  each  case.  A 
study  of  the  result,  it  is  hoped,  will  speak  for  itself. 

Pressure  used  in  the  case  of  No.  33  is  understood  to 
be  180  pounds,  those  of  the  others  are  given  in  Table 
"N".  Part  of  the  information  in  list  "O"  was  lost, 
may  be  recovered  later. 

Table  "P"  is  a  record  of  experiments  with  Hard 
Maple  blocks  with  reference  to  impregnating  them 
with  Creosote  in  Run  No.  1,  and  a  mixture  of  Creosote 
and  Asphalt  in  Run  No.  2,  giving  computations  of 
results. 

Table  "Q",  Run  No.  3  and  4,  a  record  of  treatment 
with  Creosote,  the  blocks  being  unseasoned. 

Table  "R",  record  of  treatment  of  various  timbers 
by  the  Zinc-Creosote  process. 

Table  "S",  Philippine  Island  woods. 

Table  "T",  is  a  computation  of  results  in  impreg- 
nating Mexican  timbers,  both  in  Metric  and  American 
terms.  Note  the  effect  of  varying  time  steamed  and 
hydraulic  pressure  used. 

The  experiments  here  recorded  required  years  to 
compile  and  hold  much  that  require  much  more 
study  and  elaboration  to  exhaust  the  mass  of  informa- 
tion herein  comprised. 


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358 


Department  of  tne  Interior 
BUREAU  OF  FORESTRY 
Mrector.  MANILA.  April  14  .  19O8. 

M.  Howie, 
owe  &  Rowe, 
Room  #364  Monadnock  Bldg. 

Chicago,  111. 

compliance  with  the  request  of  Mr.  V.  B.  Toland,  Vice 
f  the  Philippine  Railroad  Co.  of  this  city,  1  have  the 
ate  that  there  have  been  forwarded  to  you  under  separate 
es  of  the  foUovsing  publications  of  t  ni  3  Bureau: 
,  4,  and  7.  Also  two  packages  containing  samples  of 
moat  important  ?nilV>>pine  Woods,  as  per  the  following  l\%t: 

Ipil  Molavf  Yacal  (2)  Dunson  Guijo 
Supa  Agoho  Amuguis  Apatong  Panao 
Tansuile  Balacat  Uauan  Batete  Tindalo 
Al^non 
hese,  Tangui\e>  Apitong,  "Panoa,  Lauan  and  Aimon  are  suffic- 
idant  to  export  in  large  quantities.  Apiton%,  Pdnao,  an<i 
.re  stronger  woods  than  Lauati  and  A!T«OTI.  s\  ^ 

Very  respectfully,  /^*~~/  Is 

ecretary  of  the  l»t.rtor.  UJ^C^If  f  ^M^L 
M-X,.*.  DireXtor  of  Forestry, 
piani  lot*  /  | 

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854 


RECORD  OF  RESULTS  OF  CHEMICAL 
TREATMENT  OF  TIES  * 

BY  SAMUEL  M.  ROWE. 

April  1 5th,  1908.  One  of  the  most  carefully  made 
and  most  complete  records  that  it  has  been  possible 
to  secure  of  an  almost  continuous  record  of  a  large 
quantity  of  treated  railroad  ties  is  given  below.  The 
example  is  based  upon  the  ties  treated  by  the  zinc 
tannin  process  in  1885  at  the  Las  Vegas  treating 
plant  of  Santa  Fe  Railway  Co.,  and  laid  the  same 
year  mostly  on  the  New  Mexico  divisions.  The  com- 
putation is  more  particularly  confined  to  this  one 
year  because  this  lot  should  now  be  necessarily  quite 
exhausted  at  22  years. 

The  number  of  ties  treated  in  1885,  was  111,503, 
about  one-third  pound  of  pure  zinc  chloride,  being 
used,  i-io  Ib.  of  glue  mixed  with  the  zinc  chloride 
and  ij^  per  cent  strong,  applied  first  and  about 
the  same  amount  of  tannin  extract  made  into  a 
Vz  per  cent  strong  water  solution  applied  after 
the  chloride  and  glue  solution  was  withdrawn,  in  ac- 
cordance with  the  well  defined  zinc  tannin  process 
then  known  as  the  Wellhouse  treatment. 

The  record  of  removals  was  neglected  until  about 
1897  at  which  time  the  record  of  these  removals  was 
commenced  and  from  that  time  carefully  kept  up  to 
and  including  1907.  At  the  close  of  1907  the  record 
shows  that  out  of  the  111,500  ties  about  77,ooo,  in- 
cluding 1,300  removed  last  year  (1907),  twenty-one 
years  after  being  put  in  track  and  leaving  34,500 
ties  in  round  numbers  to  show  for  the  removals  of 
the  earlier  years  when  no  record  was  kept.  A  com- 
putation of  these  unrecorded  ties  that  failed  to  be 
recorded  was  estimated  at  about  36,000,  indicated  that 
the  number  was  a  trifle  over-estimated  a  little,  being 


*Report  made  to  the  Committee  on  Ties  and  on  Wood  Pre- 
serving A.  R.  E.  and  M.  of  W.  April  isth  to  3oth,  1908. 

855 


based  upon  the  rate  of  failure  for  those  treated  in 
subsequent  years.  Beyond  the  lack  of  the  record 
for  the  earlier  years,  this  record  is  remarkable. 

Some  small  sources  of  possible  error  exist  on 
account  of  the  light  stamp  then  used  by  which  a 
small  number  became  illegible  and  from  the  prob- 
ability of  there  being  still  a  few  not  yet  removed  as 
over  one  per  cent  in  1907.  The  further  source  of 
premature  renewals  too,  will  cut  some  figure  on  ac- 
count of  the  almost  entire  ballasting  of  the  line  on 
which  these  1,885  ties  were  laid  during  the  last  six 
years. 


356 


RECORD   OF   REMOVAL   OF  ZINC   TANNIN 

TREATED  TIES  ON  THE  NEW  MEXICO 

&  COLORADO  DIVISIONS. 

Treated  in  1885  at  Las  Vegas,  New  Mexico. 

1885  No.  Rem'r  Av.  yrs.  ser. 

1  year  1886  n  n 

2  years  1887  34  68 

3  years  1888  67  201 

4  years  1889  261  1,044 

5  years  1890  564  2,730 

6  years  1891  1,655  9»93o 

7  years  1892  2,595  18,165 

8  years  1893  4,432  35,4^4 

9  years  1894  5,658  50,922 

10  years  1895  6,615  86,1 50 

11  years  1896  7,547  83,017 

12  years  1897  13,55*  162,612 

13  years  1898  15,745  204,585 

14  years  1899  11,484  160,776 

15  years  1900  8,440  126,600 

16  years  1901  4,472  71,662 

17  years 1902  5,878  4M46 

18  years  1903  3,278  59,004 

19  years  1904  4,695  89,205 

20  years  1905  4*633  92,660 

21  years  1906  3,046  63,966 

22  years  1907  1.300  28,600 

23  years  1908 

24  years  1909 

105,934         1,388,508 
Av.  13.11  years 

The  foregoing  statement  is  made  up  from  and  in- 
cluding all  the  records  that  have  been  kept  by  the  A. 
T.  &  S.  F.  Ry.  Co.  at  a  great  expense  and  comes  as 
near  a  thoroughly  reliable  record  as  is  possible  on 
such  an  extended  scale,  as  a  member  of  the  tie  com- 
mittee of  your  association  the  writer  has  been  labor- 
ing to  secure  the  adoption  of  a  single  plan  by  which 

357 


the  same  end  can  be  secured  with  a  necessary  degree 
of  accuracy  and  at  the  least  expenditure  of  time 
and  labor.  By  means  of  the  plan  outlined,  and  in  the 
form  herein  proposed  to  be  confined  to  a  limited 
section  of  track  at  a  sufficient  number  of  represent- 
ative points. 

The  statement  herein,  it  must  be  remembered,  is 
the  result  of  the  record  of  one  lot  of  111,503  ties 
treated  at  Las  Vegas,  New  Mexico  under  the  direc- 
tion of  Joseph  P.  Card,  Mr.  Wellhouse,  the  patentee 
of  the  Wellhouse  or  zinc-tannin  process  and  of 
Octave  Chanute,  a  pioneer  in  this  business,  to  whom 
should  be  credited  the  results  attained.  I  do  not 
take  this  credit  to  myself  as  my  knowledge  at  that 
time  was  obtained  direct  from  these  gentlemen, 
whose  directions  were  carried  out  faithfully  as  pos- 
sible. 

It  may  be  said  in  passing,  that  the  rules  then  laid 
down  were  based  upon  many  previous  years  of  ex- 
perience, and  subsequent  experience  indicates  that 
these  rules  have  proven  to  be  based  upon  well  de- 
termined facts  which  are  as  true  today  as  they  were 
then. 

While  this  statement  indicates  a  life  of  13.11 
years,  it  might  have  been  still  better  if  more  care  had 
been  exercised  in  selecting  the  ties  to  be  treated. 
Many  thousands  of  the  ties  treated  that  year  had  pro- 
gressed so  far  towards  decay  that  the  treatment 
could  do  but  little  good  and  the  absorption  of 
chemicals  was  excessive. 

This  sketch  seems  very  eccentric  in  its  angularity 
but  the  matter  of  faithful  record  is  so  important 
that  we  cannot  afford  to  give  it  otherwise,  although 
we  know  that  the  laws  of  nature  act  very  different 
from  that  governing  the  road  force.  We  must 
have  true  knowledge  and  an  accumulation  of  a  series 
of  facts  before  we  can  convince  those  most  in- 
terested, but  not  conversant  with  the  matter,  before 
the  business  will  be  saved  from  those  interested 
is  promoting  new  patents  or  new  interests,  or  those 


who  will  not  accept  anything  except  what  accords 
with  their  own  theories  or  interests.  An  arrogant 
assertion,  if  well  pressed,  will  often  obscure  what 
is  known  to  be  sound  facts  and  well  established. 

When  these  mountain  pine  ties  were  treated,  the 
fact  was  already  established  that  the  chloride  of 
zinc  was  one  of  the  very  best  agents  for  the  preser- 
vation of  woods.  It  was  known  that  steam  was  the 
most  effective  agent  for  securing  impregnation;  it 
was  known  that  steam  at  high  pressure  would  scorch 
the  timber  fiber,  but  that  at  250  deg.  Fahr.,  the  fiber 
would  not  be  materially  injured;  it  was  known  that 
too  high  pressure  would  injure  the  wood  by  parting 
the  fiber,  but  that  it  would  bear  100  Ibs.  pressure 
of  the  sq.  in.  during  impregnation,  etc.,  etc.  All 
these  are  as  true  today  as  th.en. 

The  claim  is  now  made  that  creosote  is  the  only 
agent  of  value.  It  is  not  denied,  indeed  it  is  well 
known,  that  creosote  where  it  is  possible  to  well  im- 
pregnate the  timber,  gives  the  highest  known  results. 
There  is,  however,  another  well  known  fact  that 
should  not  be  lost  sight  of,  to  wit  that  full  impregna- 
tion costs  beyond  what  the  railroads  can  afford;  and 
again,  that  a  very  minor  portion  of  the  timber  which 
should  be  treated  can,  by  any  known  process,  be  im- 
pregnated with  creosote,  except  perhaps  in  the  shape 
of  paving  blocks  or  short  lengths  of  timber  which 
can  be  reached  from  the  ends. 

The  new  methods  being  industriously  promoted; 
that  of  partial  impregnation,  is  of  more  than  doubt- 
ful value,  and  it  would  seem  unwise  to  spend  large 
sums  of  money  in  expensive  works  and  in  so  treat- 
ing railroad  ties ;  not  having  the  evidence  of  the 
value  of  the  treatment. 

All  these  were  recognized  as  facts  by  the  man 
who  directed  the  treatment  of  these  ties  twenty-three 
years  ago,  and  they  are  just  as  true  today  as  then. 

The  additional  fact  we  now  have  is  that  those  pine 
ties  with  only  an  average  life  of  four  or  five  years, 
untreated  have  been  given  a  life  of  over  thirteen 

359 


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years,  or  three  times  that  of  the  untreated.  At  that 
time,  (1885),  there  were  in  evidence  ties  that  had 
been  treated  and  in  track  seventeen  years  and  were 
still  sound. 

In  accumulating  these  records,  careful,  honest 
treatment,  both  of  the  subject  and  on  the  part  of  the 
operator  in  carrying  out  this  policy  will  secure  de- 
sired results,  and  conduce  more  to  good  works  and 
good  results  throughout. 

Chicago,  April  15,  1908. 

April  28,  1908.  I  transmit  a  diagram  of  results  of 
the  Zinc-Tannin  Treated  Ties,  treated  at  the  Las 
Vegas  Plant  in  1885,  and  also  a  consolidated  diagram 
of  the  1885  to  1889  inclusive.  The  account  is  not 
yet  complete,  so  that  some  modifications  can  be  made 
later. 

I  submit  this  now  for  several  reasons,  first;  be- 
cause this  data  has  been  obtained  at  much  cost  of  time 
and  expense  by  the  Santa  Fe  officials,  and  although 
incomplete,  are  probably  the  most  ^  extensive  and 
valuable  records  ever  rendered  in  this  or  any  other 
country,  up  to  this  time,  and  will  become  more  and 
more  valuable  as  time  passes. 

The  most  cogent  reason,  however,  at  this  time,  is 
to  still  further  impress  on  the  association  the  im- 
portance of  impressing  the  urgency  of  some  well 
devised  method  of  securing  a  more  comprehensive 
and  more  easily  applied  method  to  secure  reliable 
data.  This  is  necessary  to  block  the  operation  of 
some  who  are  promoting  and  practicing  new  or  here- 
tofore untried  methods,  probably  of  little  value,  to 
result  in  loss  and  disappointment  to  the  railroad  peo- 
ple represented  by  the  Association.  Further  facts 
will  be  given  as  secured. 

April  28,  1908. 

April  30,  1908.  In  submitting  these  estimates  of 
mean  life  of  railroad  cross  ties  deduced  from  the 
records  furnished  by  the  timber  department  of  the 
A.  T.  &  S.  F.  R.  R.  Co.,  we  are  able  to  enter  some- 
what into  the  realm  of  fact.  It  will,  however,  be 

862 


years  yet  before  the  whole  benefit  will  be  reached. 
There  is,  however,  now  enough  to  place  beyond 
doubt  the  benefit  derived  from  the  chloride  of  zinc 
treatment  and  to  prove  that  under  many  adverse  con- 
ditions the  life  of  ties  is  three  times  that  of  the  same 
kinds  of  timber  untreated.  It  is  proper  to  now  assume 
that  prolongation  carries  the  life  of  the  tie  beyond  the 
life  of  any  sound  timber  under  mechanical  wear.  This 
being  the  case,  where  is  the  sense  of  resorting  to  un- 
proved methods  costing  twice  or  three  times  as  much  ? 

The  value  of  experience,  versus  theory,  is  well 
illustrated.  A  few  years  since  this  chloride  of  zinc 
treatment  was  pronounced  a  failure  and  "a  waste  of 
money,"  the  dead  oil  of  coal  tar  being  pronounced  the 
only  resort. 

It  is  not  denied  that  the  creosote  is  an  excellent 
agent,  but  it  was  long  since  found  too  expensive  to  be 
economical  for  treatment  of  railroad  ties.  That  a 
small  amount  of  creosote  can  be  used  in  connection 
with  the  chloride  of  zinc  to  some  good  purpose, 
seems  probable,  but  alone;  no,  in  most  cases  unless 
the  timber  be  rotted. 

The  ties  in  this  case  of  the  A.  T.  &  S.  F.  suffered 
much  from  the  partial  decay  as  from  the  actual 
knowledge  of  the  writer,  quite  a  per  cent  of  those 
treated  were  overseasoned  and  beyond  the  time  that 
the  chemicals  would  be  any  benefit.  Probably  those 
coming  out  previous  to  the  eighth  year  would  be 
those  referred  to.  The  writer  will  have  something  to 
say  in  regard  to  this  question  of  "SEASONING" 
before  treating. 

Referring  back  to  the  sketch  of  results  on  five 
years, — 1885-1889,  dated  April  27,  1908,  which  gives 
12.45  years,  mean  life  up  to  18^  years,  and  33  per 
cent  still  in;  should  these  ties  last  &/*  years;  the 
mean  life  would  reach  15  3-10  years.  The  1885  ties, 
nearly  all  our  would  as  corrected  be  1^/4  years. 

Sketch  of  April  29,  1908,  covering  two  groups, 
1890-1893,  covering  years  when  many  ties  were 
treated  by  the  Burnett  process,  shows  mean  life  of 


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364 


lo.g  years,  at  the  I5th  year,  and  14  per  cent  still  in, 
and  the  Wellhouse  (Zinc-Tannin)  treated  ties  gives 
at  nth  year,  a  mean  life  of  10.9  years,  with  60  per 
cent  still  in.  These  figures  are  hastily  made  and 
are  held  open  to  corrections,  but  it  is  apprehended 
that  later  estimates  will  hardly  break  the  force  of 
these  deductions. 

The  A.  T.  &  S.  F.  Co.,  certainly  deserve  great 
credit  for  thus  securing  a  very  faithful  and  valuable 
record. 

"Wanted" — An  authentic  record  for  creosote  or 
other  vaunted  processes.  The  writer  has  been  urging 
the  adoption  of  a  well  devised  method  of  securing 
such  records  for  several  years  back  and  hopes  that 
it  will  be  taken  up  and  acted  upon.  In  this  con- 
nection would  urge  the  stamp  marking  of  the  ties 
when  being  treated,  even  should  other  marking  be 
used  when  the  ties  are  laid.  A  sample  of  stamped 
figures  will  be  offered  at  the  committee  meeting,  6th 
proximo. 

Chicago,  April  30,  1908. 

PROPER  METHODS  OF  TREATING  TIMBER* 

Sir:  One  necessity  in  the  conservation  of  our 
timber  resources  is  that  of  economizing  in  the  use  of 
railway  ties,  which  now  form  one  of  the  largest  de- 
mands on  the  timber  supplies.  In  the  earlier  days 
when  timber  was  plenty  or  easily  obtained,  little  at- 
tention was  given  to  the  matter,  but  when  the  rail- 
ways had  exhausted  the  local  supplies  of  good  timber 
they  had  to  transport  ties  for  long  distances  and  to 
use  less  durable  timbers.  The  necessity  of  economy 
in  the  supply  and  use  of  ties  then  became  imminent 
and  had  to  be  met.  This  point  was  reached  in  this 
country  about  25  years  ago,  and  possibly  at  an  earlier 
period  in  the  old  countries. 

Previous  to  25  or  30  years  ago,  however,  the  mat- 
ter of  timber  treatment  was  studied  in  a  desultory 
way,  mainly  by  individual  effort  in  the  line  of  econ- 

365 


omy  and  not  so  much  as  a  necessity.  At  the  pres- 
ent time  the  necessity  has  become  pressing,  and  at- 
tention is  being  given  to  the  use  of  steel  and  various 
other  substitutes.  The  possibility  of  a  satisfactory 
substitute  seems  remote,  however,  as  yet.  This  be- 
ing the  situation,  it  seems  of  the  utmost  importance 
that  the  very  best  methods  of  timber  preservation 
should  be  found  and  that  the  experiences  of  the 
past  should  be  heeded.  No  method  built  upon  theory 
alone  can  be  evolved.  In  the  first  place,  those  agents 
that  will  preserve  wood  from  decay  must  be  as- 
certained, and  in  the  second  place,  the  best  methods 
of  application  must  be  sought. 

At  the  time  that  the  writer  first  came  into  contact 
with  this  subject  in  the  line  of  duty  there  were  but 
few  agents  that  seemed  to  be  recognized  as  effective. 
Among  these  were  the  dead-oil  of  coal  tar  (creosote) 
and  chloride  of  zinc.  Both  of  these  still  stand  ahead 
of  all  others. 

The  value  and  economy  of  the  former  is  conceded 
for  special  purposes,  such  as  resistance  to  marine 
borers,  or  where  prolonged  life  is  sufficiently  import- 
ant to  justify  the  expense  of  full  treatment.  But  for 
railway  ties,  the  cost  is  too  great,  and  is  not  justified 
in  view  of  the  better  results  that  may  be  (and  are 
being)  obtained  from  the  much  cheaper  chloride 
treatment.  In  relation  to  partial  treatment  with 
creosote,  past  experiences  are  not  encouraging. 

The  method  of  the  application  of  the  agent  to  be 
considered,  covers  the  physical  laws  governing  the 
various  parts  of  the  operation,  and  also  the  physical 
character  of  the  woods  to  be  operated  upon.  The 
writer,  with  aid  from  others,  has  endeavored  to  cover 
this  ground,  deducing  his  knowledge  from  experience 
and  careful  study,  and  from  oft-repeated  experiments. 
These  investigations,  studies  and  experiences  have 
extended  through  a  series  of  nearly  25  years  in  this 
country,  supplementing  that  of  some  of  the  soundest 
and  most  successful  timber  treating  experts  in  the 
country.  It  is  claimed  that  European  countries  are 
far  in  advance  of  this  country  in  this  matter,  but  the 

366 


writer  has  doubts  of  this.  Very  little  information  as 
to  details  such  as  the  practical  operator  must  possess 
have  been  offered  from  foreign  sources. 

It  is  satisfactory  to  be  able  to  say  that  some  defi- 
nite results  have  been  obtained  by  a  cheap  and 
simple  method  with  the  use  of  chloride  of  zinc- 
modified  by  the  use  of  glue  and  tannin  as  a  retardant 
(the  Wellhouse  process).  By  this  process  and  by 
others  not  so  well  defined,  the  poorer  and  less  valu- 
able timbers  have  proved  very  lasting.  If  the  screw 
spike  was  used  instead  of  the  old-fashioned  spike, 
the  mechanical  destruction  of  the  tie  would  be 
checked  and  the  life  still  further  prolonged. 

The  agitation  and  present  effort  now  being  made 
in  regard  to  the  collection  of  reliable  data  it  is  hoped 
will  add  to  the  data  now  possessed.  Too  often, 
claims  of  results  that  are  misleading  have  come  from 
interested  promoters. 

Now  that  the  results  of  timber  treatment  are  be- 
coming known  and  the  value  of  the  treatment  of 
ties  has  been  demonstrated,  there  is  a  general  move- 
ment among  the  railways  to  resort  to  such  treatment, 
largely  from  necessity.  This  is  duetto  the  growing 
scarcity  of  tie  timber,  and  the  increasing  cost.  There 
is  also  a  desire  to  aid  in  the  conservation  of  the 
forests  by  the  resort  to  the  substitution  of  softer 
timbers,  which  are  not  adaptable  for  use  as  ties  unless 
treated.  Recently,  under  the  inviting  prospects  in 
this  timber-treating  business,  certain  new  processes 
have  appeared  and  new  methods  have  been  formu- 
lated, under  new  and  plausible  theories  that  seem  to 
have  appealed  to  a  certain  extent  to  the  railways. 
The  main  reason  given  for  these  processes  is  the 
alleged  failure  of  anything  of  value  having  been  put 
into  practice  in  this  country.  According  to  these 
new  authorities,  everything  heretofore  offered  and 
practiced  may  as  well  be  "rubbed  out."  It  is  a  severe 
thing  to  say  that  this  new  influence  and  teaching  has 

867 


the  appearance  of  arising  from  a  desire  to  invade 
this  promising  field  for  commercial  interests  alone. 

In  the  first  place,  the  new  methods  are  offered  on 
faith  and  on  untried  theory.  They  are  without  the 
"test  of  time,"  and  are  in  the  face  of  many  failures 
in  cases  equally  plausible.  Some  of  the  claims  seem 
to  require  a  reversal  or  at  least  a  modification  of 
natural  laws.  Others  as  noted  above,  throw  dis- 
credit upon  what  has  been  done  already  in  this  conn- 
try.  With  the  present  state  of  knowledge  as  to 
methods  of  which  we  have  long  experience,  it  is 
absurd  to  claim  that  an  untried  method  shall  negative 
all  our  past  practice  and  research. 

The  writer  has  given  the  matter  much  time  in  care- 
ful investigation,  and  has  spared  no  expense  to  get 
at  the  facts,  without  aid  from  any  outside  source. 
He  cannot  patiently  accept  the  present  situation,  or 
allow  these  unwarranted  assumptions  to  go  unchal- 
lenged. The  absurdity  of  the  conclusions,  and  the 
industry  with  which  they  have  been  pressed  upon 
the  railway  managers,  while  being  made  a  source 
of  profit  to  the  promoters,  makes  it  important  that 
their  nature  be  understood.  To  argue  this  would 
be  a  labor  almost  in  vain,  unless  railway  officers  and 
managers  make  a  greater  effort  to  fully  usderstand 
the  nature  of  the  business  before  making  an  ex- 
pensive contract  such  as  is  involved  in  a  treating 
plant  and  its  operation.  The  railways  should  be 
advised  to  build  and  operate  their  own  plants,  and 
be  able  in  this  way  to  fully  control  their  operations. 

Samuel  M.  Rowe,  M.  Am.  Soc.  C.  E. 
364  Monadnock  Block,  Chicago,  June  15,  1908. 
*Engineering   News,   July   2,    1908. 


SHOULD  THE  RAILWAYS  OPERATE  THEIR 
OWN  TIE-PRESERVING  PLANTS  OR 
HAVE  THE  WORK  DONE  BY 
CONTRACT?* 

Sir :  Referring  to  the  article  written  by  Mr.  S. 
M.  Rowe  in  your  issue  of  July  2,  entitled  "Proper 
Methods  of  Treating  Timber:" 

The  Wellhouse  process  for  the  treating  of  timber 
is  being  gradually  dropped  for  the  reason  that  the 
extra  cost  is  not  justified  by  the  increased  life  of  the 
material  treated.  Creosote  oil  is  fast  becoming  rec- 
ognized as  the  only  efficient  preservative  for  timber 
treatment.  It  is  true  that  zinc  chloride,  in  some 
localities,  has  been  fairly  successful,  but  to  take 
it  as  a  whole  it  cannot  be  considered  so. 

I  wish  to  draw  special  attention  to  Mr.  Rowe's 
remarks  near  the  close  of  his  article,  wherein  he 
states  that  ^railways  should  be  advised  to  build  and 
operate  their  own  plants,  and  to  be  able  in  this  way 
to  fully  control  their  operations. 

For  many  years  I  did  timber  treating  work  for 
one  of  the  largest  railway  systems  in  the  United 
States,  and  naturally  T  would  not  criticize  their 
methods  of  treating,  or  the  manner  in  which  they 
operate  their  plants.  I  can  say,  howver,  that  leading 
railway  companies  who  have  treating  done  by  com- 
mercial plants,  are  most  rigid  in  their  specifications, 
requiring  all  material  to  be  brought  up  to  the  stand- 
ard of  perfection  before  it  will  be  accepted;  but  in 
their  own  plants  they  cannot  see  the  necessity  of 
employing  thoroughly  competent  and  experienced 
men  for  operating,  for  the  reason  that  they  are 
not  willing  to, pay  the  salaries  that  competent  men 
command.  The  result  is  that  many  railway  com- 
panies are  building  large  and  expensive  wood-preserv- 
ing plants  and  placing  men  in  charge  of  them 
who  know  absolutely  nothing  about  the  principles 
of  wood  preservation.  The  consequence  is  that 


they  are  merely  training  up  men,  who,  by  the  time 
that  they  are  in  position  to  be  of  value  to  their  own 
company,  are  seized  by  large  commercial  concerns, 
who  recognize  the  necessity  of  having  experienced 
and  competent  men  to  operate  their  plants,  in  order 
to  fulfill  the  specifications  in  connection  with  the 
treatment  of  railway  and  government  material. 

The  result  is  that  the  railway  companies  waste 
hundreds  of  thousands  of  dollars  in  the  operation  of 
their  plants  by  haying  inexperienced  and  incompetent 
men  to  handle  their  work  for  them. 

Why  then  advise  railway  companies  to  build  and 
operate  their  own  plants,  when  large  commercial 
concerns  have  been  organized,  combining  experience 
and  capital,  for  the  successful  operation  of  their 
plants  ? 

By  having  men  in  charge  who  have  had  years  of 
experience,  most  of  them  having  been  trained  up 
with  railroad  companies  and  who  fully  understand 
the  requirements  for  treating  timber,  it  stands  to 
reason  that  large  commercial  concerns  can  treat 
material  much  cheaper,  and  get  out  a  far  superior 
product  as  a  result  of  continuous  operation. 

Yours  truly,  F.  D.  Beal. 

Eagle  Harbor,  Washington,  July  10,  1908. 
*Engineering  News  July  3Oth,  1908. 


370 


Mr.  Beal  has  the  thanks  of  the  writer  for  his  cour- 
teous criticism  of  the  position  taken  in  the  article 
referred  to,  but  we  still  beg  to  demur  to  his  conclu- 
sions. 

That  the  tendency  is  altogether  to  the  use  of 
Creosote  as  the  only  effective  preservative  of  cross- 
ties,  is  both  hasty  and  erroneous.  Several  are  still 
using  the  Chloride  of  Zinc  and  some  of  them  are 
making  further  use  of  this  agent  in  connection  with 
a  limited  amount  of  Creosote  oil  with  a  good 
promise  of  excellent  results  and  furthermore  we  feel 
quite  sure  of  results  both  satisfactory  and  economi- 
cal; we  believe  too,  that  some  who  abandoned  the 
Chloride  treatment  some  little  time  since  will  find 
that  they  made  an  expensive  and  ill  considered  mis- 
take. 

In  relation  to  the  position  that  a  commercial  treat- 
ment can  better  be  done,  we  beg  to  still  adhere  to 
the  position  taken. 

The  kind  of  a  man  that  a  railroad  company  will 
choose,  is  such  as  will  faithfully  conserve  its  inter- 
est in  faithfully  performing  his  duties  to  the  best  of 
his  abilities  and  there  is  no  reason  that  he  shall  not 
be  equally  competent  after  proper  training  and  ex- 
perience. To  a  man  placed  by  his  company  in  such 
a  responsible  position  as  this  does  usually  feel 
bound  to  by  every  incentive  of  honor  to  perform  his 
duties  most  faithfully  and  with  his  utmost  ability. 
Such  a  course,  is  of  course  in  such  a  case,  the  readi- 
est way  to  advance  his  own  interest.  On  the  other 
hand  the  manager  of  a  commercial  plant  has,  no 
matter  what  his  abilities,  the  incentive  constantly 
before  him  to  serve  the  interests  of  his  employer. 

In  regard  to  Creosote  as  the  only  agent  for  the 
treatment  of  railroad  ties  we,  at  the  risk  of  reitera- 
tion, will  say: 

In  the  past  both  in  this  country  and  in  others  a 
much  prolonged  life  has  been  secured  by  a  plentiful 
use  of  Creosote  oil,  presumably  of  about  the  quality 
now  being  generally  used  in  this  country.  (There 

871 


being  no  definite  information  to  the  contrary.)  This 
oil  is  of  such  nature  that  perhaps  the  best  knowledge 
is  obtained  by  fractional  distillation  such  as  any 
novice  can  carry  through  and  which  will  identify 
variously  constituted  oils.  Much  has  been  written, 
but  little  in  the  shape  of  definite  knowledge  has  been 
elicited  as  to  the  preservative  value  of  the  various 
constituents,  the  main  point  gained  being  to  settle 
upon  a  uniform  method  of  distillation  by  which  oil 
may  be  compared.  In  practice,  however,  there  are 
certain  facts  elicited  that  are  properly  to  be  consid- 
ered in  placing  a  true  estimate  on  the  value  of 
Creosote.  Its  value  as  an  antiseptic  taking  it  as  a 
whole,  the  good  results  must  attest.  The  wood  pre- 
serving experts  of  the  government  should  determine 
the  value  of  each  component  part  as  we  have  sug- 
gested, (Preservation  of  Timber,  Page  242-3),  some 
three  years  since  but  not  yet  done. 

It  is  probably  safe  to  say  that  most  of  the  remark- 
able results  in  treating  ties  and  timber  are  secured 
on  soft  open  woods,  or  possibly  on  those  consisting 
largely  of  sap  timber.  Experience  shows  that  Creo- 
sote oil  can  by  no  known  process  of  impregnation  be 
made  to  penetrate  sound,  well  grown  heart  wood  in 
any  case  of  the  so  called  hard  woods.  The  writer 
has  not  seen  a  single  case  where  a  sound  Red  Oak 
tie  has  been  penetrated  to  the  heart,  while  he  has 
seen  many  that  after  being  over-seasoned  to  the 
verge  of  decay  or  worm  eaten  as  many  are. 

The  fact  remains  that  many  of  the  woods,  which, 
if  treated,  would  make  the  best  and  most  valuable 
ties  will  only  take  the  Creosote  superficially. 

They  are  simply  well  blacked. 

I  would  be  pleased  to  refer  Mr.  Beal  back  to  a 
very  able  address  Jan.  i8th,  1905,  at  New  Orleans, 
made  by  him  before  The  Wood  Preservers'  Associa- 
tion. 


372 


CHLORIDE  OF  ZINC  AS  AN  AID  IN 

IMPREGNATING    PILES  WITH 

CREOSOTE. 

In  Creosoting  piles,  especially  the  harder  and  more 
valuable  woods  by  the  best  known  methods  of  the 
present  time,  little  more  than  a  superficial  impregna- 
tion is  secured  even  with  the  much  increased  press- 
ure. In  Marine  work  the  thoughtless  act  of  trimming 
off  a  protruding  knot  will  break  the  necessary  con- 
tinuity of  the  protection  and  let  the  teredo  work  its 
mischief.  There  are  three  treating  plants  now  operat- 
ing, using  the  Zinc-Creosote  process,  each  of  which 
are  operated  by  as  bright  and  able  operator  as  is  to 
be  found  in  this  country  and  who  all  agree  that  the 
Creosote  oil  is  carried  much  farther  into  the  wood 
than  it  is  possible  to  penetrate  with  the  Creosote 
alone.  Observations  on  the  output  of  several  hun- 
dred thousand  ties  per  month  are  confirming  this 
fact,  and  the  writer  hopes  to  be  able  by  the  aid  of 
these  operators  to  give  a  confirmation  in  the  near 
future. 

The  only  necessary  change  in  the  treatment  is  to 
increase  the  proportion  of  Creosote  oil  used.  It  is 
easy  to  comprehend  the  importance  of  this  to  the 
treatment  of  piles  for  all  uses  as  the  thorough  impreg- 
nation of  the  piles  with  the  Zinc-Chloride  with  a  more 
extended  penetration  of  the  Creosote  will  mark  an 
area  in  the  treating  of  Piles,  Ties  and  Timber. 


378 


FUNGUS    CULTURE 

PLAN    FOR   CULTURE    ROOM 


For  ordinary  amateur  room,  the  most  suitable 
location  is  in  a  basement  room  with  masonry  walls 
(or  concrete)  where  the  temperature  will  be  meas- 
urably equable  winter  or  summer,  or  it  may  be  par- 
titioned off  from  a  larger  room  with  brick,  terra- 
cotta or  concrete  walls.  An  earthen  floor  or  of  concrete 
which  is  better,  will  do. 

A  room  10  feet  long  and  8  feet  wide  will  prob- 
ably be  sufficient  in  area,  with  a  door  two  feet  wide 
and  a  small  window  closely  fitted  for  the  purpose 
of  observing  a  hygrometer  set  on  inside  of  the  win- 
dow for  directing  the  observer  to  control  the  degree 
of  moisture  in  the  room. 

The  bins  or  benches  will  be  best  constructed  of 
reinforced  concrete;  should  be  made  in  the  form  of 
a  shallow  trough  and  arranged  on  each  side  of  the 
room,  the  first  or  lower  trough  on  the  floor  leaving 
a  clear  walk  through  the  middle  of  the  room.  The 
second,  not  less  than  16  inches  above  the  lower  one, 
receding  from  the  center  walk,  much  as  is  done  with 
the  benches  in  a  florist's  room.  And  so  on  to  any 
desired  height,  or  which  the  height  of  the  room  al- 
lows. 

As  the  length  is  too  great  to  support  itself,  two 
or  more  supports  may  be  placed  on  the  shelves  or 
troughs.  A  small  drain  should  be  provided  to  carry 
off  any  surplus  water  that  may  incidentally  collect, 
but  should  not  allow  the  entrance  of  a  draught  of 
air,  as  the  less  ventilation  the  better.  Then  quoting 
from  Prof.  Perley  Spaulding,  Pathologist  of  the 
Bureau  of  Plant  Industry,  Washington,  D.  C: 

"It  will  be  found  after  getting  fairly  started 
that  it  is  advisable  to  use  comparatively  small 
test-blocks,  so  as  to  obtain  results  fairly  rapidly. 
The  size  of  these  test-blocks  should,  of  course, 
be  uniform  in  a  given  experiment,  and  the 
chances  are  that  it  would  be  much  better  if  they 


375 


were  uniform  in  all  experiments,  so  as  to  give 
a  basis  for  comparison  between  different  ex- 
periments. 

"Ordinary  soils  may  be  used,  but  in  order  to 
make  the  experiment  of  value,  it  should  be  thor- 
oughly sterilized  by  steam  or  dry  heat  before 
being  placed  in  the  compartments.  Dry  heat  is 
probably  preferable,  as  under  ordinary  condi- 
tions the  sterilization  will  be  more  complete 
when  performed  in  this  way.  Having  built  your 
compartments  and  placed  the  sterilized  soil 
therein,  you  are  ready  to  obtain  the  fungi  with 
which  to  inoculate  your  test  pieces.  Of  course, 
the  most  accurate  way  of  doing  this  would  be 
by  growing  pure  culture  of  the  different  fungi 
and  placing  them  in  the  soil  which  is  to  be  used. 
Practically,  however,  and  for  the  sake  of  quick 
results,  it  is  probably  better  to  obtain  a  consid- 
erable quantity  of  wood  rotted  by  certain  fungi 
with  which  you  wish  to  work;  for  instance,  a 
considerable  portion  of  a  railroad  tie  which  has 
been  rotted  by  Latinus  lepideus  would  make 
a  very  good  means  for  starting  with  that  fungus. 
It  is,  of  course,  necessary  to  pick  such  a  timber  as 
has  no  other  fungus  growing  visibly  upon  it,  and 
also  one  that  is  fairly  well  rotted  by  the  fungus 
wanted. 

"Reasonable  care  in  this  respect  will  insure 
practically  pure  culture;  at  least,  there  need  be 
little  apprehension  as  to  the  obtaining  of  two 
or  more  wood-rotting  fungi  in  this  way. 

"A  compartment  one  foot  deep,  3  to  4  feet 
wide,  and  two  feet  long  will  easily  accommo- 
date a  series  of  a  hundred  or  more  test  blocks, 
2  to  3  inches  wide,  and  12  to  18  inches  in  length, 
provided  these  are  placed  upright,  which,  in  my 
opinion,  is  the  proper  way  of  placing  them.  In 
this  way  one  has  left  above  the  soil  several 
inches  of  wood,  upon  which  may  be  placed  a 
suitable  label  for  distinguishing  each  block  from 
its  fellows.  (It  is  suggested  that  a  2x2  inch 

876 


block,  12  inches  long,  would  be  the  best  dimen- 
sions, as  the  concrete  troughs  will  retain  nearly 
permanent  moisture  and  that  6  or  8  inches  of 
earth  would  be  enough.  "R.") 

"It  is  necessary  to  supply  water  about  the 
same  as  one  would  to  an  ordinary  greenhouse 
crop.  It  is  also  best  to  have  fairly  warm  tem- 
perature (not  above  100  deg.  Fahr.  "R.")»  as 
results  will  be  obtained  quicker  than  they  will 
if  the  temperature  is  cool. 

"Too  great  expectations  must  not  be  placed 
upon  the  rapidity  with  which  rotting  takes  place 
in  such  an  experimental  test-room,  as  even  in 
nature  it  takes  a  number  of  months  for  an  ordi- 
nary sized  timber  to  rot,  under  the  most  favor- 
able circumstances.  The  chances  are  that  in 
some  respects  your  room  will  not  give  favorable 
conditions  in  all  particulars,  and  therefore  the 
action  may  be  even  a  little  slower  than  would 
naturally  occur  out  of  doors.  You  may  reason- 
ably expect  results  from  the  ordinary  wood-rot- 
ting fungi  in  one  year's  time  with  the  most 
easily  rotted  woods.  If  the  more  durable  woods 
are  to  be  tested,  the  results  will  be  correspond- 
ingly long  in  becoming  evident. 

"While  water  must  be  applied  liberally,  the 
soil  must  not  be  allowed  to  become  water- 
soaked;  it  must^  be  kept  fairly  moist,  about  as 
one  would  do  in  raising  an  ordinary  crop  of 
lettuce,  or  other  small  vegetables.  This  point 
is  one  which  must  be  watched  with  particular 
care. 

"Some  fungi  will  do  well  with  a  large  amount 
of  moisture,  while  others  will  do  equally  well 
with  very  little.  It  will  take  some  little  knowl- 
edge of  the  natural  growth  of  the  different  fungi 
to  hit  the  correct  degree  of  moisture  and  heat 
to  be  used." 

Both  temperature  and  degree  of  moisture  to  be 
used  will  be  determined  by  trial,  the  water  and  heat 
being  convenient,  the  moisture  for  the  air  can  be 

377 


furnished  by  a  slight  jet  of  steam,  which  will  fur- 
nish this  under  the  control  of  the  operator — the 
hygrometer  furnishes  the  indication  or  guide.  There 
should  be  no  ventilation  except  what  is  unavoidable 
by  entering  the  door,  the  ceiling  of  the  room  to  be 
airtight. 


FUNGUS   CULTURE 
PLAN  OF  CULTURE  ROOM 

, Jem.  /*»  j»oi   Scaltf-ift 


END    SECTIONS 


FUNGUS  CULTURE  ROOM 

The  room  should  be  well  lighted  for  inspection  by 
electric  lights  turned  on  on  entering,  and  one  so 
placed  as  to  light  the  hygrometer  whenever  needed, 
from  the  outside  of  the  room,  as  well  as  a  common 
thermometer  (Fahrenheit),  to  be  placed  by  the  side 
of  the  hygrometer  in  the  same  light. 

378 


The  room  should  be  heated  by  a  small  steam 
heater  as  shown  in  plan  of  room,  and  a  simple  ar- 
rangement by  which  warm  water  can  be  drawn  as 
needed,  using  a  sprinkling  pot  to  apply  it  to  the 
culture  soil. 

The  water  tank  can  be  placed  on  a  shelf  and  a 
sufficient  quantity  at  the  same  temperature  as  the 
room. 

HYGROMETER. 

FOR   FUNQUS    COUTURE  ROOM. 
CKIADC  OP  POPLAR) 


Wo-rc       So*  TO  BC  FIRMLY  FAVrCNBO  TO«CTHC*  IMIVM  •€*«*». 
INDICATOR  TO  WC  %Ecunct.v  GLUCO,  MO  tener**,  TM*H  onvssco 

HYGROMETER 

Accompanying  the  plan  is  a  simple  form  of  hy- 
grometer that  will  answer  every  purpose.  It  is  pre- 
supposed that  the  room  has  permanent  water  and 
steam,  and  electric  light  adjacent. 

879 


If  temporary  boxes  are  used,  the  front  flange  of 
the  shelves  can  be  reduced  to  minimum  height. 
The  size  of  the  whole  lay-out  can  be  reduced  or 
enlarged  to  suit  the  case  in  hand.  "R." 

Chicago,  January  15,  1909. 


ESTIMATES    RELATING   TO  WOOD    BLOCK   PAVEMENT 

Based  upon  three  standards  of  blocks,  four,  five 
and  six  inch.  Using  a  block  4"x4"x8"  there  will  be 
required  4&5  blocks  to  the  square  yard,  equal  to 
3.JS3  cubic  feet  of  wood. 

For  4  in.  deep  equal  M.  B.  M.,  .036  at  $20,  equal  $0.72, 
requires  3  cu.  ft. 

For  5  in.  deep  equal  M.  B.  M.,  .045  at  $20,  equal  $0.90 
requires  3.75  cu.  ft. 

For  6  in.  deep  equal  M.  B.  M.,  .054  at  $20,  equal  $1.08 
requires  4.50  cu.  ft. 

BASE  FOR  WOOD  BLOCK  PAVEMENT 

The*  base  for  wood  block  pavement  should  be 
made  of  the  best  quality  of  Portland  cement  con- 
crete, properly  made  and  laid,  six  inches  deep;  four 
and  a  half  cubic  feet  per  square  yard  of  pavement 
will  be  required,  equal  to  .17  cubic  yard,  at  $5.00 
per  cubic  yard,  costing  85  cents. 

COST  OF  TREATING  WOOD  BLOCKS 

A  fair  net  estimate  for  cost  of  treating  the 
best  woods  for  paving  blocks,  giying  sixteen  pounds 
of  creosote  per  cubic  foot  of  timber  would  be  at 
cost  of  oil  put  in,  would  be  about  one  cent  per  pound 
of  creosote  oil  put  in.  Then,  for  the  three  classes, 
the  cost  would  be  about  as  follows: 

Four  inch  deep,  3.  cu.  ft.  of  wood,  per  cu.  yd.  48c 
Five  "  "  3.75  "  "  "  "  "  "  "  60c 
Six  "  "  4.5  "  "  "  "  "  "  "  72c 

380 


This    gives   us    a   total   cost   per   square    yard   of 
paving  as   follows: 


Depth 

M.B.M. 

Lumber 

Cub.  Ft. 
Wood 

Concrete 
4.5  Yd.  $5 

Cost 
Wood 

Cost 
Treated 

Total 
Cost 

4  in. 

.03* 

3.00 

$0.85 

$0.72 

$0.48 

$2.05 

5  in. 

<*m 

3.75 

.85 

.90 

.60 

2.35 

6  in. 

.054 

4.50 

.85 

1.08 

.72 

2.65 

In  the  estimate  of  16  pounds  per  cubic  foot  treat- 
ment is  deemed  ample  for  good  blocks  as  the  timber 
that  will  take  more  is  not  deemed  suitable  for  good 
paving. 

The  six-inch  depth  of  blocks  is  suitable  for  very 
severe  traffic  and  will  perhaps  not  be  over  five  per 
cent  of  the  paved  area  of  any  city,  and  perhaps  70 
per  cent  of  the  requirements  will  be  of  the  4-inch, 
leaving  the  remaining  20  per  cent  to  the  five-inch 
on  business  streets. 

The  pavement  here  contemplated  is  intended  to 
be  the  best  that  the  best  material  to  be  obtained 
for  the  purpose,  whether  of  wood  blocks,  concrete 
or  of  creosoted  wood  to  be  suitable  in  its  texture 
and  strength  for  wear  under  the  conditions,  but  not 
necessarily  of  high  class  merchantable  timber,  as 
much  good  wood  not  so  valuable  will  make  good 
paving. 

The  present  practice  of  laying  the  concrete  foun- 
dation for  the  block  pavement,  asphalt,  etc.,  is  a 
good  one,  and  experience  shows  that  even  Portland 
cement  need  not  be  specified  (see  results  on  Jackson 
Boulevard,  laid  in  1895,  where  Utica  natural  cement 
was  used),  as  the  value  of  all  cements,  even  the 
very  best,  depend  largely  upon  the  method  of  treat- 
ment in  laying. 

In  the  preservative  process,  too,  the  way  it  is 
done  is  equally  important,  but  there  is  no  question 
that  the  true  dead  oil  of  coal  tar  (the  genuine  creo- 
sote) is  the  most  suitable,  and  if  understandingly 
applied,  will  give  from  fifty  to  one  hundred  per  cent 
more  service  than  can  be  secured  by  some  agents 
and  under  some  practices  of  today. 

881 


Another  requirement  necessary  to  make  a  good 
pavement  is  the  free  use  of  coal  tar  pitch  in  finish- 
ing a  new  laid  block  pavement,  with  an  accompany- 
ing dressing  of  clean  sand,  the  latter  furnishing  a 
slight  cushion  over  the  concrete  base  and  a  surface 
dressing  while  the  pitch  fills  all  seams  and  covers 
the  surface,  the  sand  mingling  with  the  pitch,  gives 
the  surface  to  service  at  once.  A  barrel  of  pitch 
should  cover  20  square  yards  so  that  perhaps  an 
increase  of  cost  of  fifteen  cents  per  square  yard  will 
accrue. 

It  must  be  conceded  that  wood  blocks  must,  to 
get  the  best  service,  be  set  with  the  fiber  vertical, 
hence  the  blocks  will  be  put  four  to  six  inches 
lengthwise  of  the  timber  ducts,  hence  most  hard 
woods  can  be  impregnated  with  creosote  without 
difficulty  under  one  hundred  pounds  retort  pres- 
sure, with  absolutely  no  injury  to  the  blocks  and 
they  go  into  use  perfectly  sound  and  with  no  ten- 
dency to  break  across  as  in  some  cases  where  they 
are  expanded  and  prepared  to  check  under  slight 
strain  by  having  been  exposed  to  undue  pressure 
during  impregnation. 

The  timber  now  usually  specified  for  wood  blocks 
at  present  is  the  Southern  Yellow  Pine,  but  it  is 
probable  that  there  are  several  other  woods  that 
will  wear  just  as  well,  and  possibly  better,  that  will 
be  accepted  in  time,  as  the  cost  of  this  wood  in- 
creases in  price  and  experiences  show  up  their 
suitability. 

The  demand  for  wood  blocks  has  grown  up  very 
recently  and  many  are  entering  upon  this  industry 
and  a  few  suggestions  may  not  be  out  of  place  as 
to  the  general  policy  best  adapted  to  carry  out  the 
industry. 

If  the  sawing  and  treating  can  be  done  in  the 
immediate  location  of  a  suitable  supply  of  timber, 
all  can  be  best  done  in  the  one  location,  and  if  on 
a  line  of  navigation,  the  finished  blocks  can  be 
shipped  in  the  hold  in  bulk.  They  can  be  dis- 
charged directly  to  the  vessel  and  again  unloaded, 
both  by  automatic  carriers,  easily  erected. 


Should  the  work  be  distant  both  from  mills  and 
from  water  connection,  then  the  lumber  should  be 
cut  to  suitable  dimensions  to  be  cut  into  blocks  at 
the  treating  plant,  discharging  from  the  block  saws 
to  the  cages  and  thence  to  the  cars  that  carry  them 
away. 

In  regard  to  the  method  used  in  impregnating  the 
blocks,  much  will  depend  upon  this:  A  block  four 
inches  wide  and  eight  inches  long  should  give  the 
best  wear,  a  longer  block  being  more  likely  to  tilt 
under  a  heavy  load,  which  would  tend  to  unseat  it, 
and  a  longer  block  would  be  likely  to  break  it  in 
the  middle,  no  matter  how  well  set  or  supported  it 
may  be.  The  value  of  blocks,  however,  will  pri- 
marily depend  upon  the  selection  of  thoroughly 
sound,  well-grown  wood  and  should  not  be  subject 
to  any  deleterious  effects  from  an  impregnating 
process  where  excessive  pressure  has  been  applied. 
However  treated,  not  more  than  seventy-five  to 
one  hundred  pounds  should  be  used  on  the  retort 
charge  during  impregnation. 

SPECIFICATIONS  FOR 

CONCRETE  FOUNDATION  FOR  WOOD  BLOCK 
PAVEMENT 

Preparation  of  Street  Surface: 

Presupposing  that  the  curb  and  gutter  are  in 
place,  the  surface  of  the  street  should  be  graded  to 
the  sub-base,  with  a  bearing  uniform  in  character, 
well  rolled.  Then  a  concrete,  as  hereinafter  speci- 
fied, shall  be  made  in  the  immediate  vicinity  so  that 
the  concrete  can  be  taken  immediately  from  the 
mixing  board  and  be  deposited  in  place,  forming  the 
full  depth,  be  it  5  or  more  inches  in  thickness,  each 
course  against  the  face  of  that  previously  deposited, 
care  being  taken  that  the  full  quantity  shall  be 
sufficient  after  proper  tamping  to  make  the  pre- 
scribed thickness.  If  the  concrete  is  machine  made, 
the  methods  of  depositing  by  the  individual  shovel 
load  shall  still  be  adhered  to.  In  no  case  shall  the 
concrete  be  leveled  with  the  shovel,  but  must  be 
leveled  by  the  tamper. 

383 


Concrete: 

A  good  concrete  is  made  for  this  purpose  with  a 
proportion  of  one  part  cement,  three  parts  sand  and 
six  parts  of  crushed  limestone  or  granite,  the  former 
being  good  enough  if  rock  is  good,  and  all  dust 
sifting  out  with  a  one-quarter  inch  mesh  sieve  be 
rejected. 

Clean    gravel    and    sand   if   in   proper    proportion 
as  to  dimensions  of  the  different  components,  may 
be  substituted  for  the  crushed  rock  and  sand. 
The  Kind  of  Cement: 

If  the  concrete  is  mixed  and  handled  as  herein 
specified,  a  good  natural  cement  will  make  a  good 
concrete  for  this  service.  (See  the  work  by  the 
South  Park  Commission  on  Jackson  Boulevard  from 
Michigan  Boulevard  to  the  south  branch,  which  was 
made  with  Utica  cement.) 
Sand: 

The  sand  to  be  used  shall  be  what  is  usually 
designated  as  "Torpedo  sand,"  or  more  particularly 
a  sand  in  which  the  grades  run  from  one-quarter 
inch  down  in  diminishing  quantities  as  well  as  in  size. 

Dust  or  very  fine  sand  to  be  rejected. 
Crushed  Rock: 

Shall  be  what  may  be  termed  "crusher  run,"  re- 
jecting all   that   a   one-quarter  inch   meshed   screen 
will  take  out.     Good,  clean  gravel   may  be   substi- 
tuted if  similarly  graded  as  to  size. 
Amount  of  Water  to  be  Used: 

The  water  to  be  used  should  be  the  least  as  will 
well  wet  the  components  so  as  to  make  the  concrete 
of  such  consistency  as  to  slip  off  the  shovel  when 
finally  deposited  and  no  more. 
Method   of  Mixing: 

If  mixed  by  hand,  the  sand  should  be  deposited 
on  a  proper  board,  being  followed  by  the  amount  of 
dry  cement  and  the  mass  turned  over  and  over 
until  well  mixed,  then  the  crushed  rock  or  gravel, 
as  the  case  may  be,  shall  be  spread  over  the  bed, 
the  crushed  rock  being  first  well  wetted,  ami  then 
the  whole  mass  turned  over  repeatedly  until  it  has 
become  homogeneous  and  then  deposited  in  place  as 

before  described. 

384 


RECENT  PAVING  PRACTICE 


By  J.  A.  MOORE.* 

During  the  season  of  1908,  approximately  seventy- 
two  miles  of  pavements  were  laid  in  Chicago  under 
special  assessment  proceedings,  at  approximate  cost  of 
$2,825,000. 

The  amount  of  various  kinds  of  pavements  laid  is  as 
follows : 

Asphalt    38  miles. 

Brick    9  miles. 

Granite  block  6.5  miles. 

Macadam    14  miles. 

Creosoted  blocks 4.5  miles. 

Compared  with  recent  years  the  amount  of  work  done 
was  about  seventy-five  per  cent,  of  the  normal  amount. 
Several  causes  contributed  to  the  decrease  in  the  amount 
of  work  done,  among  them  being  the  financial  depres- 
sion, a  strike  which  lasted  about  six  weeks  and  which 
finally  resulted  in  the  disruption  of  the  "Pavers'  Coun- 
cil," a  central  organization  embracing  all  the  paving 
trades ;  delay  on  account  of  reconstruction  of  street 
car  tracks  and  inability  on  the  part  of  contractors  to 
secure  granite  paving  blocks. 

The  tendency  of  the  times  seems  to  be  toward  de- 
creased use  of  the  cheaper  paving  materials,  such  as 
asphalt  and  macadam,  and  toward  the  increased  use 
of  granite  and  creosoted  wooden  blocks. 

The  increasing  use  of  motor  driven  vehicles  has 
demonstrated  the  unfitness  of  macadam  to  withstand 
their  wear.  Instances  can  be  cited  where  good  macadam 
streets  have  been  practically  destroyed  in  the  course 
of  a  couple  of  years  where  they  happened  to  be  so 
located  as  to  draw  heavy  automobile  traffic. 

Bituminous  macadam,  although  approximately  as 
expensive  as  asphalt,  will  probably  be  the  solution  of  the 
automobile  problem. 

*The  great  and  growing  interest  of  the  public  in  the  subject  of  wood 
block  pavement  would  seem  to  justify  the  reproduction  of  Mr. 
Moore's  paper  in  full,  abounding  as  it  does  in  practical  information. 


Asphalt  seems  to  have  passed  its  crest  of  popularity 
as  a  paving  material,  although  its  use  will  probably 
exceed  that  of  all  other  materials  combined  for  some 
time  to  come. 

Creosoted  wooden  block  is  attracting  much  attention 
at  present,  largely  on  account  of  being  comparatively 
noiseless.  Your  modern  businessman  likes  as  little  to 
have  his  slumbers  disturbed  at  four  A.  M.  by  the  rounds 
of  the  milkman  as  he  does  to  have  his  attention  dis- 
tracted by  the  pounding  of  heavy  loads  over  rough 
granite  blocks  during  business  hours.  It  is  probable 
that  the  next  few  years  will  see  a  large  number  of  the 
down-town  streets,  as  well  as  many  of  the  outlying  ones, 
paved  with  this  material. 

Creosoted  block  pavements  already  laid  are  wearing 
exceptionally  well,  and  are  generally  giving  good  satis- 
faction. "The  South  Park"  board  of  commissioners  has 
recently  adopted  its  use  for  intersections  of  car  track 
streets  with  boulevards,  the  railway  companies  doing 
the  paving  in  connection  with  the  reconstruction  of 
their  tracks. 

During  the  past  season  the  writer  had  charge  of  the 
paving  of  Cottage  Grove  Ave.  from  Oakwood  Boule- 
vard to  51st  Street,  with  creosoted  blocks.  The  work 
was  done  by  the  Parker- Washington  Co.  at  $3.44  per 
square  yard;  amount  of  pavement  laid  32,268  square 
yards,  or  approximately  one  and  one  half  miles  of  road- 
way. The  blocks  were  treated  at  Norfolk,  Va.,  by  the 
"United  States"  Wood  Preserving  Co.  Long  Leaf 
Southern  pine,  impregnated  with  an  average  of  18.13 
pounds  of  oil  per  cubic  foot  of  timber  was  used.  An 
engineer  was  sent  to  the  plant  by  the  City  to  inspect  the 
treatment.  The  blocks,  which  were  laid  on  a  six  inch 
concrete  foundation  covered  with  a  one  inch  sand 
cushion,  were  four  inches  wide  and  four  inches  in  depth, 
and  were  laid  diagonally  across  the  roadway.  Expan- 
sion joints  filled  with  coal  tar  were  placed  next  to  the 
curbing  and  at  intervals  of  50  feet  across  the  roadway. 
The  street  has  a  car  track  on  it.  One  side  was  com- 
pleted before  the  other  was  torn  up.  The  blocks  were 
driven  and  wedged  together  fairly  tight.  Fine  sand 
was  used  as  a  filler.  Expansion  of  the  blocks  due  to 


the  first  rains  squeezed  practically  all  the  tar  out  of 
the  joints,  and  considerable  trouble  has  since  been  ex- 
perienced by  the  blocks  buckling  during  heavy  rains. 
The  part  of  the  street  which  is  behaving  badly  in  this 
respect  is  confined  to  one  side  of  the  street  for  a  space  of 
about  four  blocks.  The  reason  why  this  part  of  the 
street  buckles  and  other  parts  do  not  is  not  apparent, 
but  is  probably  due  to  some  different  treatment  of  the 
blocks.  Sand  is  not  the  proper  filler  for  creosoted 
blocks,  being  too  pervious  and  inelastic.  An  impervious 
filler  which  will  prevent  any  part  but  the  exposed  sur- 
face of  the  blocks  from  becoming  saturated  with  mois- 
ture greatly  lessens  the  liability  of  buckling. 

The  reconstruction  of  109  miles  of  street  railway 
track  (single  track  measurement)  involving  the  lay- 
ing of  470,000  square  yards  of  granite  block  pavement 
has  been  accomplished  by  the  two  principal  street  rail- 
way companies  during  the  past  year.  Fifty  thousand 
square  yards  of  this  was  paved  with  old  blocks  which 
were  redressed.  The  railway  companies  absorbed  80 
per  cent,  of  the  available  supply  of  granite  blocks, 
rendering  it  necessary  for  the  city  to  delay  most  of 
its  projected  paving  of  this  class  to  abater  date.  The 
principal  source  of  supply  of  the  granite  paving  blocks 
used  in  Chicago  in  the  past  has  been  the  quarries  of 
central  Wisconsin.  These  quarries  were  unable  to  sup- 
ply half  the  blocks  wanted  last  year,  and  other  sources 
of  a  supply,  such  as  Sioux  Falls,  North  Carolina  and 
Thousand  Islands  were  drawn  on  for  large  quantities. 
Somewhat  similar  conditions  are  in  ^  prospect  for  the 
coming  year,  the  City  probably  having  two  or  three 
times  as  much  granite  block  paving  projected  as  it  will 
be  able  to  secure.  All  the  street  railway  paving  was 
done  by  the  companies  directly,  by  non-union  labor.  The 
blocks  were  laid  upon  concrete  foundations,  in  which 
their  tracks  were  embedded. 

The  Chicago  City  Railways  Co.  uses  granite  block 
"brow"  paving  outside  of  its  outer  rails  where  the  city 
paves  car  track  streets  with  other  than  granite.  Two 
rows  of  stretchers  are  laid  along  the  outer  rails,  the 
work  being  carried  on  concurrently  with  the  city  con- 
tract. This  form  of  brow  paving  stands  up  well  where 


387 


laid  on  good  concrete  foundation,  and  proves  to  be 
quite  satisfactory.  Grooved  rails  are  used  exclusively 
in  track  reconstruction. 

The  city  has  laid  as  yet  no  concrete  pavements  under 
special  assessment  proceedings,  although  a  considerable 
amount  of  this  pavement  has  recently  been  laid,  largely 
in  alleys.  As  a  whole  it  does  not  promise  to  wear  well, 
under  medium  to  heavy  traffic.  Pavement  in  said  alleys 
laid  in^the  past  year  already  shows  marked  wear.  After 
the  ^  finishing  surface  is  Broken  through  deterioration  is 
rapid.  Repairs  necessitate  taking  out  the  worn  out 
section  from  the  bottom  up.  It  has  the  advantage  of 
being  smooth  when  not  badly  worn,  is  sanitary  and 
very  easily  cleaned  and  is  comparatively  cheap.  It 
will  not  rot,  and,  barring  the  effect  of  traffic,  should  be- 
come stronger  with  age.  Expansion  joints  filled  with 
some  elastic  material  should  be  used  in  its  construc- 
tion. 

Brick  as  paving  material  has  been  used  rather  more 
extensively  during  the  past  season  than  for  some  time. 

Grout  filler  for  brick  has  been  abandoned  and  tar  or 
asphaltic  cement  substituted  on  account  of  the  difficul- 
ties encountered  in  keeping  traffic  off  of  grout  filled 
pavements  a  sufficient  length  of  time  to  allow  it  to 
properly  set.  Grouting  when  well  done,  adds  much  to 
the  length  of  life  of  the  pavement.  Tar  fillers  are 
too  brittle  in  cold  weather.  Asphaltic  cement,  if  prop- 
erly tempered,  will  perhaps  obviate  the  above  objections. 
As  yet  its  use  in  Chicago  is  too  recent  to  form  an 
opinion  as  to  its  merits.  Fillers  are,  after  all,  not  of 
major  importance  in  the  construction  of  brick  pavements. 
The  quality  of  the  brick  is  the  first  essential.  "POOR 
BRICKS"  has  been  the  cause  of  discrediting  brick  pave- 
ments in  Chicago.  Soft  brick  or  brick  that  is  brittle 
will  not  stand  the  traffic  to  which  it  is  subjected  to  in 
this  city.  A  fair  sample  of  brick  pavement  is  on  south 
Dearborn  St.  south  of  Jackson  Boulevard.  This  pave- 
ment, which  was  laid  a  repair  job,  necessitated  by  the 
reconstruction  of  the  street  railway  tracks,  has  been 
laid  less  than  three  months.  Apparently  its  length  of 
life  will  not  be  greater  than  two  years.  It  is  only  fair 


to  say  that  the  brick  in  this  pavement  were  rejected 
by  the  city  brick  tester  for  new  work. 

A  new  form  of  wood  pavement  has  attracted  atten- 
tion of  late,  has  been  used  by  the  city  to  a  considerable 
extent  for  paving  bridge  floors  and  approaches,  is  known 
as  the  Shuman  pavement.  It  consists  of  strips  of  boards 
bolted  together  in  such  manner  that  the  edges  form 
a  wear  surface,  and  in  sections  two  or  three  feet 
sauare,  or  of  such  dimensions  as  may  best  fit  the  space 
they  are  to  occupy.  The  sections  of  pavement  are 
dipped  into  some  bituminous  liquid.  A  sample  of  this 
pavement  may  be  seen  on  Dearborn  St.  east  of  the 
Federal  Building.  It  wears  somewhat  unevenly  and 
does  not  promise  to  have  a  very  great  length  of  life. 
Exclusive  of  foundation  it  costs  about  $2.50  per  square 
yard.  It  is  probably  better  adapted  to  bridges  for 
bridge  floors  than  for  any  other  purpose,  as  it  is  light 
and  can  be  made  any  desired  depth  or  size  of  section. 

Paper  read  by  Mr.  J.  A.  Moore  before  the  Illinois  Society  of  Engi 
neers  and  Surveyors,  January  28, 1908. 


Chicago  city  prices  on  finished  pavement  includ- 
ing 6  inches  of  concrete  but  exclusive  of  curb  and 
gutter : 

Asphalt $2.20  per  square  yard. 

Granite 3.90    " 

Brick   2.40    " 

Creos.  Blocks 3.50     " 

Macadam    1.25 

January  28,  1909. 


389 


THE  OPEN  TANK    METHOD   OF   PRESERVING  TIMBER; 

RESULTS  OBTAINED  WITH  TIES  AND 

PAVING  BLOCKS* 

Sir:  A  recent  issue  of  Engineering  News  [Oct.  22, 
1908. — Ed.]  contains  an  article  by  Mr.  Howard  Weiss 
of  the  Forest  Service,  on  the  open-tank  method  of  pre- 
serving timber.  Mr.  Weiss  states  that  the  Forest  Ser- 
vice will  welcome  all  criticisms  and  suggestions  tending 
to  advance  the  work.  Therefore,  I  take  the  opportunity 
of  presenting  a  few  facts  pertaining  to  the  results  ob- 
tained from  ties  and  lumber  treated  by  the  open-tank 
or  Seely  process,  "as  it  is  also  known,"  which  have 
evidently  been  overlooked  by  Mr.  Weiss. 

The  Chicago,  Burlington  &  Quincy  R.  R.,  in  1868, 
laid  25,000  ties  on  the  New  Boston  branch  of  their  road, 
treated  by  the  open-tank  or  Seely  process  as  an  experi- 
ment. These  ties  failed  and  were  all  removed  in  six 
years.  The  failure  was  due  to  interior  rot.  The  outer 
portion  to  a  depth  of  one-half  to  three-quarters  of  an 
inch  was  apparently  hard  and  sound  whereas  the  inner 
wood  where  the  creosote  oil  had  not  penetrated  had 
completely  failed.  These  ties  caused  the  Burlington 
considerable  annoyance  as,  to  outward  appearances,  they 
were  in  a  perfectly  sound  condition  when  it  was  dis- 
covered that  the  interior  was  completely  rotted. 

At  the  time  the  Burlington  Road  made  this  experi- 
ment, the  open-tank  or  Seely  process  was  new,  and  Mr. 
Seely  undoubtedly  performed  this  work  to  the  best  of 
his  ability. 

The  process  also  failed  on  the  Chicago,  Rock  Island 
and  Pacific  Ry.  in  six  years,  from  the  same  cause  as  on 
the  Burlington,  and  it  also  failed  to  preserve  the  pine 
lumber  used  in  the  Government  Works  on  the  Saint 
Clair  Flats  for  a  longer  period  than  six  years. 

*This  communication  from  Mr.  Card  is  quoted  here  as  an  answer 
to  inquiries  as  to  the  value  of  the  so-called  "OPEN  TANK"  method 
of  treating  ties  and  paving  blocks. 

The  author  would  simply  repeat  what  has  often  been  asserted, 
good  railroad  ties  and  perhaps  any  wood  that  will  make  a  good  pav- 
ing block,  would  have  to  be  well  dried  (rotted,  using  the  word  in  a 
qualified  sense),  before  it  could  be  well  impregnated  in  this  way 
successfully. 

390 


Paving  blocks  treated  by  the  open-tank  process  have 
produced  good  results  in  several  places.  In  Cleve- 
land, O.,  some  were  in  use  for  about  ten  years.  In  the 
City  of  Paris  all  paving  blocks  which  are  used  under 
heavy  traffic  are  treated  by  soaking  in  open  tanks  of 
hot  oil.  They  fail  from  wear  in  about  eight  years,  and 
this  treatment  answers.  The  blocks  used  on  the  boule- 
vards where  the  traffic  is  light  are  given  a  larger  dose 
of  oil,  in  this  case  they  are  subjected  to  pressure  in 
closed  cylinders.  They  last  about  16  years. 

The  open-tank  method  of  creosoting  will  undoubtedly 
produce  good  results  if  it  is  confined  to  the  treating  of 
blocks,  shingles,  posts,  etc.,  or  in  other  words  small- 
dimension  lumber,  and  it  will  not  be  successful  in  this 
case  unless  the  utmost  care  is  taken  in  the  seasoning  of 
the  lumber  before  treatment.  As  to  the  treatment  of 
railroad  ties  by  this  method,  a  loblolly-pine  tie,  pro- 
vided it  is  thoroughly  seasoned,  would  probably  absorb 
the  greatest  amount  of  solution  in  the  least  time,  but 
any  other  class  of  ties  treated  by  the  open-tank  process 
would  take  from  two  to  three  weeks  to  absorb  the  same 
amount  of  solution  that  could  be  injected  under  100  Ibs. 
pressure  per  sq.  in.  in  four  hours  time. 

Undoubtedly  the  Seely  process  failed  in  the  treatment 
of  large-dimensions  lumber  for  the  want  of  proper  sea- 
soning; and  the  length  of  time  it  would  take  to  thor- 
oughly saturate  the  wood  was  so  great  that  the  treat- 
men  was  cut  short  and  poor  results  followed. 

The  treatment  of  ties  with  small  doses  of  creosote  oil 
has  not  been  a  success  in  this  country  or  in  Europe,  the 
Robbins  process  and  also  the  Blyth  process  failed  to 
give  results,  and  practically  all  the  European  coun- 
tries which  are  using  creosote  have  for  a  long  time  been 
injecting  from  10  to  15  Ibs.  of  oil  per  cu.  ft.  of  wood, 
and  by  so  doing  obtain  a  life  of  from  12  to  20  years. 

It  can  be  easily  seen  where  a  small  dose  oil  treat- 
ment will  fail  to  give  results,  especially  in  treating  a 
class  of  timber  like  red  and  black  oak  and  other  in- 
ferior oaks.  This  class  of  timber  will  rot  from  the 
center  out  in  almost  all  cases,  and  unless  the  treat- 
ment is  pushed  to  refusal  "and  this  is  expensive,"^  it 
will  fail  to  give  as  good  results  as  chloride  of  zinc 
391 


where  V*  Ib.  of  dry  salts  per  cu.  ft.  is  used.  This  can 
be  verified  by  the  records  obtainable  in  this  country  and 
in  Europe. 

If  the  tendency  in  this  country  is  to  return  to  the 
open-tank  or  Seely  process,  great  care  and  judgment 
should  be  used,  otherwise  the  results  will  be  a  failure, 
as  heretofore.  Yours  truly, 

J.  B.  Card,  Manager, 

Chicago   Tie   &   Timber    Preserving    Co.,    Old    Colony 
Bldg.,  Chicago,  111.,  Oct.  26,  1908. 


ON    SEASONING   TIMBER   PREPARATORY 
TO  TREATING 

The  popular  belief  seems  to  be  general  that  timbers 
in  the  shape  of  railroad  cross-ties,  timber  and  piling 
must  be  well  seasoned  before  it  can  be  impregnated 
by  any  of  the  usual  methods.  The  presumption  is  that 
if  it  is  "well  seasoned"  that  it  is  dry,  or  at  least  that 
it  contains  but  a  small  amount  of  moisture  and  that 
the  natural  saps  have  become  exhausted  of  the  watery 
parts  by  evaporation. 

It  is  the  purpose  here  to  call  attention  to  a  case 
where  four-inch  sections  were  cut  from  apparently 
well  air-seasoned  ties  that  had  been  piled  much  longer 
than  the  conventional  thirty  to  sixty  days  and  from  a 
stock  of  ties  that  were  being  treated  in  the  usual 
course. 

The  appended  table  shows  the  condition  of  the 
named  woods  after  drying  carefully  for  the  purpose  of 
testing  for  compressive  strength,  the  oven  being  used 
and  temperature  below  scorching. 


No. 

1 
2 
3 

4 

Name 

Wt.Cub.Ft 
when  rec'd 
Lbs. 

Wt.Cub.Ft 
when  dried 
Lbs. 

Loss  Per  Ct 
in  weight 

Loss  Per  Ct 
n  vol. 

Chestnut  . 
Hackberry 
Poplar  .    . 
Willow  .    . 

49.8 
43.0 
30.1 
32.0 

39.36 
35.94 
22.65 
23.04 

29.34 
21.85 
32.81 
47.37 

18.32 
35.52 
27.49 
38.35 

Mean  per  cent  of  water,  taking  the  mean,  32.84         29.92 
392 


The  theoretic  and  somewhat  academic  rules  so  elab- 
orately put  out  for  drying  or  air  seasoning,  contem- 
plates many  expensive  operations  that  could  be  avoided 
if  ties  were  taken  from  the  woods  and  immediately 
treated  and  put  out  on  the  line  where  needed.  Elaborate 
and  expensive  storage  yards,  several  rehandlings  of  the 
ties,  a  year's  loss  of  life  of  the  ties  and  of  money 
involved,  should  be  avoided. 

Ordinarily,  considerable  time  elapses  between  the 
cutting  and  the  receipt  of  the  ties  at  the  treating  works, 
often  from  sixty  to  ninety  days ;  time  enough  at  least  for 
the  breaking  down  of  the  natural  juices  of  the  timber; 
experience  seeming  to  point  to  this  condition  as  a  proper 
time  to  subject  the  wood  to  treatment.  There  is  now 
very  good  reason  for  believing  this  to  be  correct  and 
moreover  if  it  is,  the  very  great  danger  of  inducing 
decay  by  this  seasoning  (?)  is  avoided.  All  in  all, 
it  would  seem  well  to  modify  pet  theories  to  conform 
to  "experience." 

EXPERIENCE  IS  NECESSARY 

In  the  study  of  this  and  kindred  subjects  the  knowl- 
edge and  abilities  should  be  of  a  two-fold  nature,  ac- 
quired knowledge  and  "experience."  The  former  to  lay 
the  foundation  for  the  latter  and  the  experience  to 
fill  out  and  mature  the  judgment  thus  acquiring  practic- 
able knowledge  that  will  be  a  safe  guide  ever  in  the 
future. 

"The  parrot  can  learn  to  say  what  others  say;  no 
matter  how  eloquent;  the  monkey  will  imitate  what 
others  do  but  in  both  cases  without  wisdom." 

In  physical  nature  with  which  we  have  to  deal,  all 
technical  knowledge  is  derived  from  experience,  the 
very  foundation  of  knowledge,  and  therefore  should  not 
be  cast  aside,  scorned,  but  should  be  courted  assiduously 
and  its  lessons  carefully  studied.  Only  in  this  way  will 
"facts"  be  adduced.  Self-aggrandizement,  eloquence  of 
speech  or  plausible  theories  and  purely  technical  knowl- 
edge without  experience  is  apt  to  be  misleading  and 
mischievous. 

393 


TREATING  FRESH  CUT  TIMBER 

The  actual  experiences  here  given  bear  directly  on  this 
much  mooted  question.  The  timbers  here  treated  consist 
of  a  variety  of  the  woods  grown  in  upper  Michigan 
and  consisting  of  Birch,  Beech,  Hard  and  Soft  Maples, 
Pines,  Tamarack,  Hemlock,  two  varieties  of  Elms, 
Sycamore,  Hackberry,  etc.  The  average  size  or  volume 
of  these  ties  is  3.3  cubic  feet  and  being  northern  well 
grown  wood,  there  is  a  minimum  of  sap  wood — much 
less  than  with  the  same  woods  grown  farther  south. 

This  timber  was  cut  during  the  winter  1907-8  and  in 
a  climate  where  it  remained  frozen  until  near  April, 
hence  could  not  dry  much  before  operations  were  com- 
menced upon  the  treatment.  Tests  made  early  in  May 
showed  the  timber  still  full  of  the  saps. 

The  following  synopsis  of  the  treatment  having  seven 
hours  and  fifty  minutes  average  time  for  each  run  will 
give  a  fair  idea  of  the  method  of  treatment,  the  zinc- 
creosote,  (Card)  process  being  used. 

Month  of  June,  Steamed  3%  hours.  Under  pressure 
2l/2  hours. 

Month  of  July,  Steamed  3^  hours.  Under  Pressure 
2*/4  hours. 

Month  of  August,  Steamed  3M$  hours.  Under  pressure 
21A  hours. 

Month  of  December,  Steamed  2%  hours.  Under  pres- 
sure 3  hours. 

TABULATION  OF  RESULTS 


Month 

Emulsion 

Name 
Wood 

Condi- 
tion 

Abs. 
Znc. 

Abs. 
Cre. 

Total 
Emulsion, 
ibs.  Cu.  Ft. 

June 

4pr.  ct.  Z. 

Hem  and 

Green 

.4232 

2.191b. 

10.88  Ibs. 

20  pr.  ct.  Cre. 

Tarn 

July 

8  pr.  ct.  Z. 

Hard 

Partly 
Sea- 

.4224 

1.791b. 

13.83  Ibs. 

18  pr.  ct.  Cre. 

Wood 

soned 

August 

3  pr.  ct.  Z. 

Hard 

Drv 

.4551 

1.99  Ib. 

15.28  Ibs. 

13  pr.  ct.  Cre. 

Wood 

Decem- 
ber 

1  pr  ct   Z. 
17  pr.  ct.  Cre. 

Soft 
Wood 

Dry 

.4296 

1.831b. 

10.76  Ibs. 

The  absorption  of  Zinc  is  good.  The  absorption  of 
the  oil  per  tie  is  as  follows : 

June     7.23  Ibs.  per  tie  for  3.3  cubic  feet. 
July      5.90  Ibs.  per  tie  for  3.3  cubic  feet. 
Aug.     6.00  Ibs.  per  tie  for  3.3.  cubic  feet. 
Dec.      6.50  Ibs.  per  tie  for  3.3  cubic  feet. 
It  does  not  seem  that  the  treatment  was  retarded  very 
much  in  consequence  of  the  wood  saps. 

Pertinent  to  this  question  is  a  report  in  relation  to 
piles  creosoted  by  the  International  Creosoting  &  Cons. 
Co.,  in  1895,  for  the  railway  causeway  between  the  main- 
land and  Galveston  Island.  Quoting  from  the  Engi- 
neering News, 

"At  present,  all  the  railways  enter  Galveston  over 
a   single   track   viaduct   about   11,000    feet   long   sup- 
ported on   creosoted   piling  and  over  4,000   separate 
piles.     Over  2,000,000  cars  have  crossed  this  bridge 
since   1900.    *    *    *    The  piles   used    *    *    *    were 
all  of  Southern  pine  treated  with  24  pounds  of  anhy- 
drous creosote  oil  per  cubic  foot.    They  were  practic- 
ally all   green  when  treated,   most   of  them   coming 
from  the  stump  and  being  seasoned  by  steaming  *  *  * 
Early  this  year  there  occurred  the  lowest  water  in 
years  in  the  bay  between  Galveston  Island  and  the 
mainland.    The  water  was  so  low  that  two-thirds  of 
the  total  number  of  piles  were  exposed  to  the  mud 
line.     This    afforded    opportunity    for   a   most   com- 
plete examination  of  each  pile,  and  the  official  report 
of  the  inspection  showed  that  not  one  pile  originally 
furnished  was  in  any  way  decayed." 
These  instances  are  new  developments  but  not  ex- 
ceptional.   Experiences  at  Somers,  Montana,  where  ties 
from  the  saw  were  more  easily  treated  than  those  piled 
to  dry  some  little  time  and  those  experiences  noted  by 
W.  G.  Curtis  of  the  Southern  Pacific  in  California  in 
the  early  history  of  the  business  must  also  still  be  held 
in  mind. 

TREATING  FRESH  CUT  TIMBER 

Dry  wood  is  most  easily  permeated  with  zinc  solu- 
tion, and  with  favorable  woods,  it  becomes  possible  with 

395 


creosote  oils,  but  the  danger  remains  that  decay  may 
have  progressed  during  such  drying  so  that  the  treat- 
ment is  of  little  avail. 

Summing  up  the  results  of  experiences  of  many  years 
would  seem  to  lead  to  a  reliance  on  the  mature  knowl- 
edge derived  from  long  experience  and  good  judgment 
and  common  sense  rather  than  upon  that  which  is 
largely  academic,  the  experience  being  lacking.  (R.) 


RECORDS   OF  RESULTS 

The  author  recognizing  the  importance  of  actual 
records  in  determining  the  value  of  any  treatment,  en- 
tered into  this  matter  at  some  length  some  years  since 
as  evidenced  in  the  pages  of  this  work,  (pps.  289,  etc.) 
but  up  to  date  of  writing,  little  response  has  been  elicited 
and  little  has  been  done  to  do  anything  effective.  The 
records  offered  so  far,  with  few  exceptions,  are  so  frag- 
mentary as  to  be  very  inconclusive.  The  plan  here 
offered  is  simple  and  measurably  inexpensive,  but  would 
give  all  necessary  data.  Without  some  such  system  of 
inspection  and  record,  the  whole  matter  remains  open 
to  the  unsupported  assumptions  put  forth  by  irrespon- 
sible and  self-  interested  parties.  Fortunately,  in  a  few 
cases  reliable  records  have  been  secured.  Without  care- 
fully kept,  long  extended  inspection  and  record,  little  of 
value  can  be  secured.  This  inspection  should  be  made 
under  the  direction  of  the  railroad  company  by  their  own 
engineers,  no  expert  with  a  pet  hobby  or  with  an  ax  to 
grind  will  be  safe  to  trust. 


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[  WHITE  OAK.  | 

THE  NEW  GOSPEL 

The  Author  some  time  since  took  occasion  to  depre- 
cate the  influence  of  "Commercialism  on  the  business 
of  the  Preservation  of  Woods,"  assuming  the  position 
that  the  railroads  could  better  protect  their  interests 
and  the  trust  invested  in  them  in  their  official  duties,  a 
trust  all  the  more  sacred  in  proportion  to  its  magnitude 
and  importance,  could  best  be  secured  by  doing  it  and 
holding  it  in  control  by  the  company  itself,  directly. 

There  seems,  however,  to  have  been  a  new  element, 
a  new  phase  of  ethics  at  least,  introduced  into  the  busi- 
ness; it  cannot  be  called  business  method;  by  which 
the  business  is  being  disturbed,  for  a  time  at  least,  by 
which  the  sum  of  acquired  knowledge  and  the  experience 
of  many  years  is  thrown  aside  scornfully  and  is  being 
replaced  or  is  being  sought  to  be,  and  an  untried  method 
having  absolutely  no  record  as  to  its  value  as  a  treat- 
ment. Not  only  this;  but  it  is  being  forced  upon  the 
railroad  world  to  the  exclusion  of  sane  and  tried 
methods  long  known  to  have  been  successful. 

It  is  claimed  by  this  new  gospel,  that  it  is  the  essence 
of  wisdom,  that  it  be  universally  accepted,  settling  every 
doubt  in  the  mind  of  every  railroad  manager  so  that^  he 
need  know  nothing  more  about  it,  except  to  wrap  him- 
self in  an  abounding  faith  and  allow  his  ties  to  be  well 
blacked  after  elaborately  piling  them  until  they  approach 
the  verge  of  decay  so  as  to  allow  them  to  be  well 
(superficially)  blacked. 

It  may  be  well  here  to  mention  that  a  creosote  oil 
containing  a  large  percentage  of  coal  tar  "pitch,"  will 
better  hide  defects  in  process  of  treatment,  or  the 
addition  of  a  little  of  the  pitch,  a  worthless  substance 
which  costs  but  little  and  only  retards  the  oil,  deepens 
the  color,  etc.  (no  charge  is  made  for  this  suggestion) 
saves  money  and  prolongs  the  exposure  of  results. 

The  most  practical  result  is  however  that  it  will  turn 
a  bit  of  money  to  those  in  the  business  of  promoting 
and  to  the  railroads;  What? 

400 


Furthermore,  this  is  not  all:  Ordinarily  to  build 
and  install  a  treating  plant,  a  notice  of  such  purpose 
to  a  competent  engineer  of  experience  that  such  a  desire 
is  entertained  will  at  a  reasonable  compensation,  secure 
immediate  attention  and  an  efficient,  economically 
erected  and  operated  plant  can  be  secured.  A  shop 
draughtsman  with  absolutely  no  practical  knowledge  of 
the  process  cannot  be  trusted  to  do  this.  At  this  day, 
however,  it  is  necessary  to  convince  some  one.  Money 
convinces;  then  if  common  sense  interposes,  anyone 
having  the  temerity  to  interpose,  then  he  must  subside 
or  be  crushed.  Even  the  "EXPERTS"  trained  into  this 
special  line  by  the  Forest  Service  are  hired  off,  due 
probably  to  the  government  stamp  being  of  value 
to  the  business,  more  than  for  the  actual  knowledge 
derived  from  the  limited  practical  knowledge  derived 
from  the  accidental  connection  therewith.  Perhaps  no 
greater  detriment  to  sane  practice  can  accrue  to  the 
business  so  important  to  the  railroads  and  to  the  con- 
servation of  our  forests  so  ably  advocated  by  our  Presi- 
dent of  the  United  States  and  our  Forest  Service,  than 
from  these  so  called  experts  with  the  limited  practical 
experience  in  the  matter.  "A  word  to  the  wise." 

VALEDICTORY 

About  twenty-four  years  ago  the  writer  was  intrusted 
with  the  management  of  the  wood  treating  business  for 
one  of  the  largest  railroad  companies  in  the  West.  This 
duty  was  assumed  as  resident  engineer  owing  loyalty 
and  duty  to  the  railroad  company  alone.  Although 
having  been  engaged  in  railroad  service  for  many  years 
previous,  during  which  my  experience  passed  through 
almost  every  department  of  railroad  construction,  and 
operation,  the  business  of  wood  preservation  was  new. 
Shouldering  the  responsibility,  it  became  a  duty  to  treat 
the  matter  honestly,  carefully  and  thoroughly;  the  first 
duty  was  to  thoroughly  understand  it,  consequently  a 
study  was  made  of  each  and  every  phase  as  developed 
by  the  operation.  This  study  was  continued  almost 
unremittingly  up  to  this  date,  and  results  have  been 
put  into  record  and  are  embodied  in  this  work,  and 


401 


has  been  furnished  to  students  in  all  parts  of  the  world. 

The  methods  used  are  mainly  founded  on  basic  prin- 
ciples, theories  cutting  no  figure,  and  every  effort  turned 
to  verify  by  all  means  in  reach,  so  that  in  most  cases 
each  point  can  be  relied  upon  as  facts.  These  studies 
have  been  carried  forward  to  this  time  at  great  cost  of 
money  and  time,  entirely  without  aid  from  any  source, 
and  with  very  little  recompense  from  those  deriving 
benefit,  either  in  money  or  thanks.  Although  this  will 
be  the  last  work  on  the  Hand  Book,  the  work  will  be 
continued  to  the  end  that  the  best  possible  work  shall 
result  eventually,  and  the  author  still  pledges  the  best 
efforts  and  will  not  hesitate  to  interpose  where  dis- 
honest practices  for  the  simple  incentive  is  the  money 
there  is  in  it.  The  "Fakir"  must  have  his  day,  but  it 
will  be  a  short  day,  and  when  it  ends,  not  only  will  he 
get  his  deserts,  but  those  whom  he  has  misled,  inno- 
cently on  their  part,  will  have  good  reasons  to  mourn. 

The  mischievous  business  method  which  our  "Lin- 
coln," whose  centennial  birthday  we  celebrate,  was 
too  simple  minded  to  even  comprehend  and  against 
which  our  president  has  fought  so  strenuously,  still  pre- 
vails, and  since  "Timber  Preservation"  has  grown  to 
be  so  important,  has  invaded  this  field,  presumably  for 
the  "money"  there  is  in  it. 

The  writer,  in  one  short  lifetime  has  seen  the  country 
stripped  of  the  bulk  of  its  woods  from  the  Atlantic  coast 
to  and  into  the  continental  divide,  and  at  the  present  day 
the  western  slope  is  being  invaded  and  ruthlessly  slashed 
into.  There  are  children  living  today  that  will  jive  to 
see  the  country  devastated  of  resources  so  that  it  must 
be  on  its  decline,  and  our  children  forced  to  seek 
other  climes.  It  is  to  be  hoped,  however,  that  our 
people  will  awake  to  this  peril  and  that  millionaire  for- 
tunes, however  acquired,  will  cease  to  be  used  to  im- 
poverish the  country. 

Chicago,  February  12,  1909. 


402 


INDEX    1909 


PAGE    329    FORWARD 


Absorptive  Properties  of  Timber 329-336 

Chloride  of  Zinc  and  Creosote 373 

Fungus  Culture 375-380 

Life  of  Treated  Ties  A.  T.  &  S.  F.  Ry 355-365 

Paving:  Wood  Blocks 380-384 

Concrete  Base  for 383-384 

In  Chicago  (Moore) 385-389 

"  •"      Cost  of :  in  Chicago 389 

Paving  Blocks :  Experiments  on 349 

Physical  Properties  of  Timbers 329  336 

Timber:     Seasoning  for  Treatment 392-393 

Treating  Fresh  Cut . . .394-396 

,    <,  "         Open  Tank  (Card) 390-392 

'W  ;  "          Experience  Necessary 393 

"  "         Records  Necessary 396 

:$' a  "          Methods  (Card) 365 

*>  "         "New  Gospel"  (Card) 400 

'"'**''"•  "          Should  be  Done  by  R.  R.  Co. 

(Beal) 369-370 

Should  be  Done  by  R.  R.  Co. 

(Rowe) 371 

Ultimate  Strength  of 344-348 

Woods  of  Mexico 351 

"        "  Philippine  Islands 353 

Zinc-Chloride :  Does  it  Leach  Out  ( Angier) 397 

Zinc-Creosote :  Card  Process  (Card) 398 


The 

Grasselli  Chemical 


MAIN  OFFICE,  CLEVELAND,  OHIO 

Manufacturers  of  Heavy 
Chemicals 


CHLORIDE 
OF  ZINC 


Fused  and  Solution 


FOR  WOOD  PRESERVING 
PURPOSES 


Correspondence     invited 


A  CARD  TO  THE  PUBLIC 


Our  business  is  to  design  and  install  timber  preserv- 
ing plants.  In  planning  a  plant  to  impregnate  timber 
with  preservative  treatment  the  aim  is  to  provide  for 
those  functions  necessary  to  be  performed  and  to  do 
this  in  the  most  direct  and  perfect  manner,  in  other  words 
to  make  the  plant  a  complete  and  perfect  machine  for 
the  purpose  within  itself.  To  do  this  understandingly  it 
is  necessary  to  adapt  the  layout  to  the  situation  as  to 
grounds,  tracks  of  access,  water  supply,  drainage,  and 
other  necessities  for  its  operation.  Such  matters  as  the 
character  of  the  buildings  to  cover  the  plant  can  be 
left  to  the  (judgment  of  the  builder  or  to  any  good 
architect. 

The  ability  to  do  this  well  and  to  do  it  right  is  here 
offered,  derived  from  long  continued,  careful  study  and 
practice  such  as  cannot  be  possessed  by  any  simple  shop 
draughtsman  with  no  practical  experience  in  the  opera- 
tion of  a  plant  or  the  principles  involved  in  the  art  of 
impregnation  of  the  various  woods.  Any  attempt  in  this 
direction  on  the  part  of  such,  will  and  have  always  proved 
abortive,  resulting  in  expensive  and  clumsy  experiment 
and  lacking  in  many  of  the  essentials  of  what  a  modern 
plant  should  possess. 

Those  wishing  faithful,  honest  service  at  reasonable 
compensation  will  not  be  disappointed,  can  trust  us  be- 
cause we  know  how. 

We  will  not  make  estimates  of  cost  unless  the  manage- 
ment and  control  be  under  our  direction  until  the  plant 
is  completed  and  installed,  but  will  give  such  informa- 
tion as  to  cost  of  similar  work  so  far  as  our  past  exper- 
ience enables  us  to  do.  We  will  not  be  sponsors  for 
other  peoples  mistakes  or  extravagance,  but  would  save 
every  expense  that  will  not  aid  in  earning  dollars  in 
operation  both  in  expense  in  methods  and  management. 


CARD. 

In  compiling  this  work  a  large  number  of  illus- 
trations have  been  introduced  to  more  fully  describe 
the  various  parts  of  the  workings,  but  owing  to  the 
smallness  of  the  page,  most  of  these  are  too  small  to 
carry  much  value  except  to  make  a  record  of  them. 

There  are  a  number  of  tables  of  the  same  char- 
acter so  small  as  to  be  read  with  difficulty.  Full 
sized  prints  of  the  plans  will  be  furnished  at  the 
regular  price  for  such  plans  ^and  the  tables  will  be 
furnished  at  small  advance  of  cost. 

Plans,  specifications,  inspection  of  works  and  in- 
stallation and  also  training  of  an  operator  is  covered 
by  a  reasonable  and  fixed  commission  based  upon 
the  cost  of  the  completed  plant. 

Deviation  from  plans  and  specifications  will  be  at 
risk  of  the  company  making  the  changes. 

We  endeavor  to  select  everything  with  reference 
to  efficiency  and  reliability,  at  the  same  time  econo- 
mizing as  much  as  possible. 

We  accept  no  commissions  on  machinery  bought 
and  will  make  no  contracts  for  purchases  except  at 
the  special  request  of  the  contracting  company  and 
under  a  special  arrangement. 

ROWE  &  ROWE, 
SAMUEL  M.  ROWE,  Mgr. 


KNOWLES  STEAM  PUMP  WKS, 


Chicago 
New  York 
Boston 


SPECIAL  EQUIPMENT  FOR  TIMBER  TREATING  PLANTS. 


Surface  Condensers  with  Combined  Air  and  Circulating  Pumps. 
Suction  Valveless  Vacuum  Pumps,  Single,  Duplex,  Tri- 
plex, Steam  Power  or  Electric  Pumps  of  all  kinds. 
Duplex  and  Straight  Line  Air  Compressors,  Compound  and 
Two  Stage.      Condensers,  Feed  Water  Heaters  and  Meters. 

SEND  FOR  SPECIAL  CATALOGS. 

We  have  equipped  the  following  Timber  Preserving  Plants: 


C.  B.&Q.  R.  R.  CO. 
C.  &  N.  W.  R.  R.  CO.     . 
GREAT  NORTHERN  RY.  Co.     . 

M.  K.  &T.  R.  R.  CO.      . 
A.  T.  AS.  F    RY.  CO. 
UNION  PACIFIC  R.  R.  CO.      . 
OREGON  RY.  &  NAV.  CO. 
DENVER  &  RIO  GRANDE  RY.  CO. 

CHICAGO  TIE  PRES.  CO. 
ALAMOGORDO  LBR.  CO. 


EDGEMONT,  s.  DAK. 
ESCANABA,  MICH. 
KALISPELL,  MONT. 

GREENVILLE,  TEXAS 

LAS  VEGAS,  N.  M. 
.    OMAHA,  NEB. 

PORTLAND,  ORE. 

ALAMOSA,  COLO. 

SO.  ENGLEWOOD,  ILL. 

MOUNT  VERNON,  ILL. 

ALAMOGORDO,  N.   MEX. 


Allis-Chalmers  Co. 


CHICAGO,  U.  S.  A. 

Builders  of 


TIMBER  PRESERVING  PLANTS 


Following  is  a  list  of  the  companies  for  whom  we  have 
built  timber  preserving  machinery  and  other  apparatus  : 


Atchison,  Topeka  &  Santa  Fe    . 
Texas  Tie  and  Lumber  Preserving  Co. 

Ed.  A.  Ayer 

Hawaiian  Commercial  &  Sugar         .  ., 
Chicago  Tie  Preserving  Co. 
Missouri,  Kansas  &  Texas  .  -^  0«,*rl 
Great  Northern  R.  R.  Co.  . 
Ayer  &  Lord  Tie  Company 
National  Lumber  Co. 
Chicago  &  Northwestern  R.  R. 
Denver  &  Rio  Grande  R.  R. 
Mexican  Central  R.  R. 


1  72  inches  x  109  feet. 


2  72 
4  72 
1  60 
1  72 

3  72 

4  72 
8  74 
1  72 
3  72 
3  74 
1  74 


Ayer&  Lord  Tie  Company  (repeat  order)!  74 


:  109 
x  109 
x  50 
x  117 
x  108 
x  108 
x  125 
x  125 
x  110 
x  110 
x  125 
x  125 


FAIRBANKS,  MORSE  &  CO. 


Cylinder  and   Bolster  Cars 

We  contract  for  installing  com- 
plete Tie  Treating  Plants  ready  for 
operation  or  furnish  materials  only. 
We  manufacture  Steam  Pumps  and 
Boilers,  Tanks,  all  sizes,  wood  or 
steel;  Steam  and  Gasoline  Engines, 
Special  Cars  of  all  kinds,  Pipe, 
Fittings,  Valves,  etc. 


FAIRBANKS,   MORSE 

CHICAGO 


CO. 


The  Grasselli  Chemical  G 

CLEVELAND,  OHIO. 


MANUFACTURERS   OF 


Chloride  of  Zinc 


CORRESPONDENCE    INVITED. 


GENERAL  CHEMICAL  COMPA1S 

135  ADAMS  ST.,  CHICAGO,  ILLINOIS. 

Manufacturers  of  CHLORIDE  OF  ZINC 

FUSED  AND    SOLUTION,  HIGHEST  QUALITY,  FOR  TIMBER  P 
SERVING.    LARGE  CONTRACTS  SOLICITED. 

NORTHERN   EXTRACT  CO. 

MANUFACTURERS    OF 

Hemlock   Bark  Extract 

ESPECIALLY    ADAPTED    FOR    USE    IN    THE    PRESERVATION    OF    WO< 
FOR   RAILROAD  TIES,   BRIDGE  TIMBERS,   PILING,   ETC. 

CHICAGO  OFFICE:     144  KINZIE  ST. 

WORKS  AT  ALPENA,  MICH. 
BRADFORD  TABER,   PRESIDENT. 


BOILER. 


MANUFACTURERS  OF 

Horizontal  Tubular  Steam  Boilers  for  Power 

With  Fronts,  Castings,  Smokestacks  and  incidental  appliances. 
167-169   EAST    LAKE    STREET        -         -         -        C  H  I  C  A  C 

FOSTER  STEAM  SUPERHEATER 

High  temperatures  without  increased  pressure 

POWER  SPECIALTY  COMPANY, 
126  Liberty  St.,  New  Yor 


Lidgerwood  Hoists,  Steam  or  Electric, 
are  in  use  at  the  following  Tie  Preserving 
Plants  : 

Las  Vegas  Timber  Preserving  Works,  Las  Vegas,  New  Mex. 
Union  Pacific  Timber  Preserving  Works,  Laramie,  Wyo. 
Texas  Tie  &  Lumber  Preserving  Co.,  Somerville,  Tex. 
The  Santa  Fe  Pacific  Timber  Preserving  Works,  Bellemont, 

Ariz. 

Mt.  Vernon  Timber  Preserving  Works,  Mt.  Vernon,  111. 
The  Chicago,  Burlington  &  Quincy  Tie  Preserving  Works, 

Edgemont,  S .  D . 
The  Missouri,  Kansas  &  Texas  Timber  Preserving  Works, 

Greenville,  Tex. 

The  Alamogordo  Lumber  Company,  Alamogordo,  New  Mex. 
Ayer  &  Lord  Tie  Co.,  Carbondale,  111. 
Ayer  &  Lord  Tie  Co.,  Grenada,  Miss. 

Union  Pacific  R'y  Tie  Preserving  Works,  Cheyenne,  Wyo. 
Denver  &  Rio  Grande  R'y  Timber  Preserving  Works,  Ala- 

mosa,  Colo. 
The  Chicago  Tie  Preserving  Co.,  Chicago,  111. 

SEND  FOR  CATALOGUE. 

LIDQERWOOD    MANUFACTURING  COMPANY, 

1510  Old  Colony  Bldg., 

Chicago,  111. 


Steel  Tanks  of  every  description  and  any  capacity 


TflNKS 


Cylinder  Tanks,  Upright  Tanks, 
Pressure  Tanks,  Stills,  Kettles, 
Boxes,  Pans,  Shells,  Riveted  Pipe, 
CAR  TANKS  AND  TANK  CARS. 


Wm,  Graver  Tank  Works  ?03Hc'CAGO 


3O3  DEARBORN  ST. 


RETORTS,  TANKS  AND  TOWERS 

FOR    WOOD    PRESERVING    PLANTS 

CHICAGO  BRIDGE  &  IRON  WORKS 

105th  and  Throop  Sts.,  CHICAGO,  ILL. 


Diamond  Glue  Company 


General  Office,  218  La  Salle  St.,  CHICAGO 

MANUFACTURERS    OF 


ESPECIALLY  ADAPTED  FOR  USE  IN  PRESERVING  WOOD, 


ROWE  &  ROWE. 

TO  THE  PUBLIC :  For  eighteen  years  we  have  given  the 
business  of  planning  and  installing  Timber  Preserving 
Works  the  closest  and  most  careful  study,  both  as  to  the 
efficiency  of  treatment  and  to  the  simplification  of  the  ap- 
pliances. We  now  believe  that  we  can  assure  the  very  best 
results.  Our  "Hand  Book"  containing  most  of  the  results  of 
our  study,  although  not  intended  for  publication,  has  been 
freely  given  out,  it  being  our  wish  to  withhold  nothing  from 
those  really  interested.  We  believe  now  that  our  facilities 
for  designing  and  for  installation  are  unequaled ;  our  terms 
most  reasonable,  enabling  us  to  give  much  of  this  advantage 
to  our  patrons. 

We  will  also,  when  desired,  inspect  as  to  methods  and 
efficiency  of  treatment  by  any  works,  and  at  moderate  com- 
pensation. 

The  following  list  of  works  will  give  some  idea  of  the 
extent  of  our  experience : 

1885.    A.  T.  &  S.  F.  Ry.    Las  Vegas,  N.  M.    Operated  several 

years. 
1887.    Union  Pac.  R.  R.    Laramie,  Wyo.    Plans. 

1897.  T.  T.  &L.  P.  Co.    Somerville,  Tex.    Plans,  Supervision 
and  Operation. 

1898.  Santa  Fe  Pac.    Bellemont,  Ariz.    Plans,  Supervisions 
and  Operation. 

1898.  C.  &  E.  I.  R.  R.    Mt.  Vernon,  111.    Plans  revised  for  O. 
Chanute. 

1899.  Great  Northern  Ry.    Kalispell,  Mont.    Plans,  Super- 
vision and  Installation. 

1899.  B.  &.  M.  R.  Ry.    Edgemont,  S.  Dak.    Plans,  Supervis- 
ion and  Installation. 

1900.  H.  C.  Sugar  Co.  Hawaii,  S.  I.  Plans  with  full  directions. 

1900.  Mex.  Cent.  R.  R.    Mexico.    Consulting  Engineer. 

1901.  M.  K.  &  T.  Ry.    Greenville,  Tex.    Plans,  Supervision 
and  Installation. 

1901.    Alamogordo  L.  Co.    Alamogordo,  N.  M.    Plans,  Super- 
vision and  Installation. 

1901.  Rocky  Mt.  Timb.  Co.    Colo.    Plans,  Supervision  and 
Installation. 

1902.  Ayer  Lord  Tie  Co.  Carbondale,  111.  Consulting  Engin'r. 
1902.         "        "          "       Miss.    Consulting  Engineer. 

1902.    Union  Pacific.    Portable  Plant.    Shop  Inspection. 
1902.    O.  R.&N.Co. 

1902.  A.  T.  &  S.  F.    Plans  and  Specifications. 

1903.  D.  &  R.  G.    Alamosa,  Colo.    Plans,  Specifications  and 
Installation. 

ROWE  &   ROWE 
SAMUEL  M.  ROWE,  -  .  itaY|  Manager. 


BUSINESS  DIRECTORY. 

For  the  convenience  of  our  patrons  and  ourselves 
we  introduce  this  short  directory,  giving  name  and 
address  of  those  dealing  in  the  articles  named.  This 
must  not  be  understood  as  excluding  others  in  the 
same  line. 

Boilers. 

Kewanee  Boiler  Co.,  167-169  E.  Lake  St.,  Chicago. 
Hamlin  Boiler  and  Tank  Co.,  39th  and  Halsted  Sts.,  Chi- 
cago. 

Scully  Steel  and  Iron  Co.,  130-136  Fulton  St.,  Chicago. 
Cast  Iron  Pipe. 

F.  K.  Bowes  &  Co.,  277  Dearborn  St.,  Chicago. 

Jas.  B.  Clow  &  Sons,  Franklin  and  Harrison  Sts.,  Chicago. 

Cables. 

Lidgerwood  Mfg.  Co.,  Old  Colony  Bldg.,  Chicago. 
Jno.  Roebling  Sons  Co.,  171-173  E.  Lake  St.,  Chicago. 
A.  Leschen  &  Sons  Rope  Co.,  137  E.  Lake  St.,  Chicago. 

Chloride  of  Zinc. 

Grasselli  Chemical  Co.,  Cleveland,  Ohio. 
General  Chemical  Co.,  135  Adams  St.,  Chicago. 

Hydrometers,  Chemical  Appliances,  Etc. 
e  Hohmann  &  Mauer  Mfg.  Co.,  119  Lake  St.,  Chicago. 
A.  Daigger,  132-134  E.  Lake  St.,  Chicago. 

Creosote  (Dead  Oil). 
Barrett  Mfg.  Co.,  Loan  and  Trust  Bldg..  Chicago. 

Electric  Lighting:. 

General  Electric  Co.,  Monadnock  Bldg.,  Chicago. 
We  stinghouse  Electric  and  Mfg.  Co.,  Pittstmrg,  Pa. 

Glue. 

Diamond  Glue  Co.,  R.  422,  218  La  Salle  St.,  Chicago. 
American  Glue  Co.,  148-150  E.  Kinzie  St.,  Chicago. 

Hoisting:  Engines. 
Lidgerwood  Mfg.  Co.,  Old  Colony  Bldg.,  Chicago 

Lead  Sheet. 

Ra  ymond  Lead  Co.,  51-59  W.  Lake  St.,  Chicago. 
E.  W.  Blatchford  &  Co.,  70  N.  Clinton  St.,  Chicago. 


Lead  Burning, 

J.  J.  Tuttle,  453  Flournoy  St.,  Chicago. 
J.  J.  Wade  &  Sons,  52  Dearborn  St.,  Chicago. 

Pressure  Gauges  aud  Thermometers. 
Schaffer  &  Budenberg  Mfg.  Co.,  15  W.  Lake  St.,  Chicago. 
Pumps  and  Condensers. 

Knowles  Steam  Pump  Works,  New  York  Life  Bldg.,  Chi- 
cago. 

Wheeler  Condenser  and  Engineering  Co.,  R.  1137  Monad- 
nock  Bldg.,  Chicago. 

Fairbanks,  Morse  &  Co.,  Franklin  and  Monroe  Sts.,  Chi- 
cago. 

Pipe  and  Fittings. 

Jno.  Davis  Co.,  22d  and  Halsted  Sts.,  Chicago. 

Crane  Company,  Jefferson  and  Randolph  Sts.,  Chicago. 

Jas.  B.  Clow  &  Sons,  Franklin  and  Harrison  Sts.,  Chicago. 

Retorts. 

Allis-Chalmers,  New  York  Life  Bldg.,  Chicago. 

Chicago  Bridge  and  Iron  Co.,  105th  and  Throop  Sts.,  Chi- 
cago. 

Hamlin  Boiler  and  Tank  Co.,  39th  and  -Halsted  Sts.,  Chi- 
cago. 

Scully  Steel  and  Iron  Co.,  130-136  Fulton  St.,  Chicago. 
Roofing,  Pipe  Covering  and  Asbestos  Packing. 

Chicago  Fire  Proof  Covering  Co.,  18-20  N.  Canal  St.,  Chi- 
cago. 

H.  W.  Johns-Manville  Co.,  171-173  Randolph  St.,  Chicago. 

Western  Roofing  and  Sup  ply  Co.,  177  Randolph  St.,  Chi- 
cago. 

Scales. 

Fairbanks,  Morse  &  Co.,  Franklin  and  Monroe  Sts.,  Chi- 
cago. 

Sheaves  and  Guide  Pulleys. 

Link  Belt  Machinery  Co.,  39th  and  Stewart  Sts.,  Chicago. 

Superheaters. 

Power  Specialty  Co.,  126  Liberty  St.,  New  York. 
Tanks. 

Fairbanks,  Morse  &  Co.,  Franklin  &  Monroe  Sts.,  Chi- 
cago. 

W.  B.  Rose  Supply  Co.,  Lincoln  Trust  Bldg.,  St.  Louis. 

Wra.  Graver,  Tank  Works  (Steel  Tanks)  303  Dearborn  St., 
Chicago. 


Tram  Cars. 

Fairbanks,  Morse  &  Co.,  Franklin  &  Monroe  Sts.,  Chicago. 
Chicago  Bridge  &  Iron  Co.,  105th  &  Throop  Sts.,  Chicago. 

Tannin. 

Northern  Extract  Co.,  144  Kinzie  St.,  Chicago. 
A.  Klipstein  &  Co.,  122  Pearl  St.,  New  York. 

Track  Fixtures. 

Paige  Iron  Works,  Room  427  Monadnock  Bldg. ,  Chicago. 
Ajax  Forge  Co.,  138  E.  Jackson  Blvd.,  Chicago. 

Valves. 

Chapman  Valve  Co.,  28  S.  Canal  St.,  Chicago. 
Eddy  Valve  Co.,  Waterford,  N.  Y. 
Jenkins  Bros.  Valve  Co.,  31-33  N.  Canal  St.,  Chicago. 

Differential  Pulleys. 
H.  Channon  Co.,  Market  &  Randolph  Sts.,  Chicago. 


ILLUSTRATIONS. 

PAGE 

Alamosa  yard 10 

Absorbent  properties  of  timber,  "A" 147 

"B" 148 

"C" 149 

"D" 150 

Boilers,  steam 12 

Blow-back  system  (3  movement) 20 

Bolster  car 31 

Buildings— General  layout 33 

Condenser  and  hot  well 16,  46 

Cooling  tower  — 22 

Creosote  plant 115 

Diagram,  Glue 63 

Quebracho 73 

Tannin 72 

Runs 48 

Showing  relative  per  cent  cross  ties  removed. . .  172 

Vacuum ; . .  168 

Graphic  Table,  Density  of  chloride  of  zinc 50 

"       Weight  of  chloride  of  zinc 52 

Hammer,  Stamping 37 

Heating  coils  for  creosote,  chloride  and  tannin  tank 25 

Hydrometer  reading  for  glue 64 

*'          "    Quebracho  extract 75 

"          "    tannin 75 

Indicator  board  and  float 37 

Original  yard  (Las  Vegas)  7 

Renewals,  Rate  of 171 

Report,  Monthly 81,  82 

'*       Operators' 78 

Retort  No.  2 43,  178 

"       and  Foundation 116 

11      section,  with  car,  trackage  and  steam  coil  for  cre- 
osote    117 

"      section  with  tram  car 29 

Ruping  process,  The 131 

Sheaves  and  guide  pulleys 27 

Solution  pipes  (tentative  plan  8  retort  works) 40 

"     and  valves  (8  retort  works) 41 

44            "      (3  movement) 19 

Special  cross  for  inside  steam  pipe 120 

Steam  coil  for  retort 118 

piping  (G.  N.  Ry.) 24 

Statement 176 

"         of  operation 77 

Table  "  A  "  No.  1... 56 

"      "B"     "     2 57 

"      "C"      "     3 58 

"      "  B  "  cubic  ft.  concentrated  solution  required  per 
tub  foot 144 


ILLUSTRATIONS-Continued. 

PAGE 

Table  "  B  "  weight  concentrated  solution   required  per 

tub  foot 145 

Tie  loader,  Angler's 165 

Thermometers  showing  method  of  attachment 45 

Treated  ties  removed,  per  cent  of 148 

Tram  car    (Rowe's  improved  ball  bearing) 32 

"       "      Roller  bearing  axle 159 

"      Studyin 162 

Tramway    ( Alamosa  yard) 28 

Unloading  tank  for  creosote 119 

Vats,  lead  lined 18 

"      weighing 35 


C.  B.  &  Q.  works,  Sheridan,  Wyo 190 

<»    «    *<    ««    yard  .4  .<     200 

41    "    "    "    works,  Edgemont,  S.  D 192 

Edgemont  works  during  construction 191 

G.  N.  works  during  construction 199 

Las  Vegas  plant 186 

Machinery  room.    Bellemont,  Ariz 193 

G.N.  Ry 197 

"         Sheridan,  Wyo 201 

Somerville,  Texas 189,  195 

Original  two  cylinder  works,  Las  Vegas,  N.  M 187 

Retort  of  U.  P.  and  O.  R.  &  N.  Go's,  portable  plants 196 

Six  cylinder  works,  Somerville,  Texas 188 

Solution  pipes,  G.  N.  Ry.  works 198 

Tram  car 185 

Two  retort  works,  Bellemont,  Ariz 194 

C.  &  N.  W.  Ry.  works,  Escanaba,  Mich 202 


INDEX. 

PAGE 

Absorption  of  chloride,  tannin,  glue 76 

by  volume 76 

Appliances,  Character  of 9,  66 

Burnettizing 89 

Harry  Grimshaw 102 

Cost  of  (J.  D.Isaacs) 107 

Caution 9,  89 

Chemicals,    Preparation  of 51,  68 

Rule  for  mixing 49 

Computation,  Convenient  table 166 

During  operation 71 

Units  in 89 

Creosoting,  Cost  of  (J.  D.  Isaacs) 122 

(Harry  Grimshaw) 101 

Inspection 114 

(Norfolk  Creosoting  Co.) 109 

Process 1 13 

Southern  Pacific  programme 114 

Specifications  for 112 

Dating  NaiL 36 

Door,  Spider 81 

"      Weightof 11 

"      Bolted 15 

Expansion  of  fluids  by  heat 92 

Gelatine,  (Glue) 55,  70 

G.  M.  Hyams 60 

Penetration  of  (O.  Chanute) 62 

Hammer,  Stamping 34 

Introduction 5 

Kyanizing  103 

Metric  System.    Weights  and  measures 92 

Notes  and  Explanations 146 

Oil  of  Tar,  Composition  of 125 

*«  ••  •*  Emulsion  of 126 

••  ••  ••  Pressingin 125 

Operation,  Ruleof 34 

Plant,  Installation  of <S7 

Portable  Plant 30 

Processes,  Creo-Resinate 134 

Creosoting  (Patented) 106 

Hasselman,  The 1 30,  133 

Ruping.  The 126,  128 

Three  Movement,  The 153 

Wellhouse,  The 5,  6 

Zinc  Creosote  (Rutgers) 123 

Record  of  routinework 79 

Retort,  Lagging  of 91 

••       Proper  proportions  of 163 

Volume  of 67 


INDBX-Continued. 

PAGE 

Saps,  Extracted 80,  180 

Solutions,  Determination  of  strength  of 54 

Increase  of  strength  of 156 

Increase  of  temperature 157 

Implements  for  testing 93 

Preparation  of 53 

Temperature  of 42 

Test  of  strength  of  tannin  (Tub  solution) 93 

Steam,  Introduction  to  retort 179 

"       Penetration  of 86 

"       Superheated 42 

Steaming  and  Vacuum,  Effect  of 99 

Storage  of  ties  in  yard 84 

Tannin  Extract 62,  70 

£:  "       Test  of  strength  of  tub  solution 93 

Temperature  of  solutions 42 

Tie  loader  (Angler's) 164 

Timber,  Absorption'powers  of 146,  154,  181 

Computing  volume 76 

Determination  of  life  of 170 

Effect  of  treatment  as  to  strength 158 

Kinds  and  conditions  of 80 

Preservation  of  (Harry  Grimshaw) 99 

:  Seasoning  of 83 

Value  of  treatment  of 135,  173 

When  cooked  through 98 

Tram  cars,  Coupling  for 164 

"        "      Improvement  of 160 

Vacuum,  Theory  of  (S.  W.  Robinson) 167 

Visual  tests,  Chloride  of  zinc 95 

Glue 97 

"         "      Tannin 97 

Water  for  dilution 55 

Wellhouse  process,  Chemicals  used 49 

Zinc  Chloride,  Preparation  of 68 

Test  for  purity 94 

"         Test  for  strength 91 


INDEX  TO  APPENDIX 


Page 

Analysis  of  Dead  Oil  of  Coal  Tar 241-280 

Amount  of  Oil  Withdrawn  by  Vacuum  (J.  B.   Card)  .279-280 
An   Arraignment    (Western   Railway    Club    Meeting    Dec. 

16,   '02). .316-318 

A    Typical    Tree 326-327 

Boiling   Point   in     Vacuo    183 

Bolted   Door   for    Retort    (plate) 190 

Burnett    Process,     Specifications 216 

Barometric     Condenser 257 

Creosoting  Process   (Eppinger  &  Russell) 208-209 

Creosoting    Specifications     (Chanute) 195-198 

Creosoting    Specifications    (Rowe) 221-223 

Creosote,   How   Made    (Hausser) 241-243 

Cost  of  Various   Processes   Compared    CRowe) 230 

Cost   of  Timber    Preserving   Plant 260 

Chemical  Treatment  of  Timber    (Engineer  News) 263-270 

Cast  Steel  High  Pressure   Retort  Door  and  Flange 261 

Centrifugal    Pump    Connection    for   Card   Process 293 

Compressed    Air 288 

Conservation   of  Forests   in   America 308-315 

Experimental   Plant  for   Laboratory    (Rowe) 255 

Economy  of  Compressor  vs.  Pump 287 

Fundamentals  To   Be  Considered   in    Plans 259 

Giussani      Process 210-240 

Heat   While    Steaming  Under   Vacuum    (Table) 184-185 

Inspection  of  Ties  in  Track.    Record  of  Results 291 

Inspection    of   Ties   in   Track 289-290 

Knowles  Pump  Co.     Table  of  Compressed  Air 288 

Kilogramme,  Equivalent  in  Pounds  Avoirdupois   (Table).. 213 

Life  of  Treated  Ties  on  C.  R.  I.  &  P.  R.  R.   (Table) 186 

Loading  Ties  in   Box  Cars    (Angier) 256-257 

Lead   Lining   for  Wooden  Tank 262 

Natural  Oil   as  a   Preservative 319-324 

Oil  Joint  for  Conducting  Pipe   (Martin) 211 

Oil  Joint  Applied  to  Discharge  of  Cargo  (I.  C.  R.  R.)...212 
Over  Pressure   on  Timber 284-286 


Page. 

Processes  &  Agents    (Rowe) 288-231 

Piling  and  Seasoning  Before  Treating  and  Drying  After 

Treating  of  Ties   256 

Program   for   Testing   Amount   Soluble   Matter   Removed 

by    Steaming    277-279 

Records   of   Operation    (Chanute) 206-207 

Report  of  Treated  Ties  Removed  First  Six  Months  1905 

(Faulkner)     214 

Rueping    Process    (Creosote) 233-239-240 

Saturated   Steam;   In  Timber  Preservation    (Beal) 223-227 

Specifications  for  Treating    Timber     (Rowe) 215-223 

Specifications  for  Creosoting    (Rowe) 221-222 

Specifications   for    Burnettizing    (Rowe) 216 

Specifications  for  Zinc-tannin  or  Wellhouse    (Rowe)  .  .217-220 

Summary   of   Timber   Treating    (Rowe) 239-240 

Specifications  for  the  Treatment  of  Timber 255 

Steaming    Timber    Before    Impregnating    (A.    A.    Robin- 
son)     300-301 

Special  6"  Flange  for  Agitator   (Card  Process) 258 

Tentative  Plan  for  Eight  Retort  Plant   (plate) 187-189 

Timber  Treating  and  Testing  Laboratory   (plates) 244-254 

Timber  Treating  (Chanute)   Creosote  and  Zinc-tannin.  191-206 

Tree  Movement    (Zinc-tannin   Process) 219 

Theory  of  Steaming  Timber .271-276 

The  Use  of  Compressed   Air   for   Shifting   Solutions  and 

Oils    287 

Temperature    of    Compressed    Air 287 

The  Zinc-creosote   (Rutger)    Process   (J.    B.  Card) 292-299 

The   Steaming  of  Timber   (O.    Chanute) 302-307 

Treating   of   Paving   Blocks 3?5 

The  Use    of  S.  Irons 326 

Wasting  Away  of   Chloride  of  Zinc 281-283 

What    We    Have    Done 32S 

Zinc-tannin  Process  on  A.  T.  &  S.  F.  R.  R 231-233 

Zinc-tannin  Process   (Tabulation   of   Records) 234-238 

Zinc-creosote    Process    (The    Rutger    Process) 215-240 


ERRATA. 

Page  117  Cost  of  treating  G  =  Mexican  currency. 

Page  232,  24th  line  "average"  instead  of  overage. 

Page  283  Cap.  T.  8th  line  should  read  number  treated,  to 
determine  this  quite  definitely. 

Page  264  (on  22nd  line  add)  "Not". 

Page  265  (last  line)  Giussani  not  Ginssanni. 

Page  266  (line  17)  it  should  not  rank,  etc. 

Page  266  (line  31)  then  releasing,  etc. 

Page  268  (line  10)  hence  20  Ib.  and  omit  this. 

Page  273  (line  34)  treated  from,  etc. 

Page  280  (last  line)  P.  284. 

Page  282  To  whom  it  may  concern  —  some  notes  from  an 
unknown  author  for  which  the  author  does  not  express  an 
opinion. 

Page  286-287  tables,  date  1904  instead  1900. 

Page  288  Knowles  Pump  Co.  instead  of  Ingersoll-Kand. 

Page  299  Leaching  instead  of  "reaching". 

Page  316  Clause  at  bottom  of  page  should  follow  answer  of 
Dr.  Von  Schrenk  on  page  317. 

Page  317  (3rd  line)  Radial  instead  of  Radical. 

Pape  823  Laying  instead  of  "treatment". 

Page  320  Resumg  3rd  line  add  "d"  to  nee,  making  need. 


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